Here Comes Neko!
by Luna Hinomura
Summary: Shampoo's twin sister shows up in Nerima, putting a strain on some already delicate relationships. Status: complete. See sequel, Descendants.
1. Shampoo Times Two

I would like to thank my friends Bryan and Ryan for introducing me to my   
first and favorite anime, Ranma Nibunnoichi. I would also like to thank all the   
random AOL otaku who Role-Play and/or Emote in chatrooms. I don't remember all   
of your names, but I know many of you dubbed me "Neko," Shampoo's twin sister,   
whom this fan-fic is written about. I'd like to thank my friend and soundboard   
Darien for his great insights into both Mousse and Neko. He contributed a LOT   
of the ideas that went into Chapter 3. Without his help, I'd still be in   
"Writer's Block" mode. ^_^  
  
Ranma Nibunnoichi is (c) Rumiko Takahashi, Shounen Sunday Comics, Kitty TV, and   
Viz Video.  
  
  
Here Comes Neko!  
A Ranma Nibunnoichi fan fiction  
By Luna Hinomura  
http://fly.to/Luna's  
  
Chapter 1: Shampoo Times Two  
  
Late again. As usual. Couldn't that blasted Ranma just get up earlier?   
He was constantly making them *both* late for school. If she hadn't have been   
so worried that Shampoo would intercept him and try another one of those tricks   
of hers, she would have just gone to school by herself, leaving him behind. She   
turned to glare at him.  
  
He scowled. "Jeez, Akane, stop looking at me or people'll think we're   
goin' out or somethin'," Ranma said. He recoiled as soon as the words were out   
of his mouth, realizing what he'd just done.  
  
"Stare at *you*?! No way, you pervert! I try *not* to look at you!"   
Akane screamed back.  
  
If they hadn't begun to argue, Ranma probably would have missed it. As it   
was, he'd turned his head to the left to look at Akane. As his feet   
instinctively pounded on the fence, (automatically knowing where every next step   
was), a splash of pinkish-purple hair, blue Chinese silks flashed by. Was   
someone standing in the alley? He had opened his mouth to yell an insult back   
at Akane, but his words disappeared. "Was that...Shampoo?" he murmured to   
himself instead.  
  
"Shampoo?! Don't tell me you're actually *looking* for her! Ranma, you   
jerk! I thought you hated her attention!"  
  
"Don't be stupid, Akane! I just thought..." He backtracked a few steps,   
looked into the alley where he had supposedly seen Shampoo.  
  
"Fine! You stay and look for your *darling* Shampoo! I'm not going to   
wait around and watch!" Akane left in a huff.  
  
"W-wait, Akane!" Ranma chased after her. "I'm just worried she's after   
me again!"  
  
The girl turned to watch them leave. [That boy... He almost saw me. Did   
that girl call him 'Ranma'? I'd better follow them!], she thought to herself in   
her native language. Clutching her spear, she used it like a pole vault and   
gracefully launched herself high over their heads, landing quietly on one of the   
many large drainage pipes in the ditch. By ducking down and hopping quietly   
from one to the other, she was able to follow from a safe distance. [They'll   
never suspect that I'm down here], she thought smugly, [maybe if I listen   
carefully, I'll find out if he really *is* Ranma, and if Shampoo...]  
  
Stars. Pretty stars. All different shapes and sizes. They flashed   
through the girl's mind as a sleek and well-used bike crashed into the back of   
her head, knocking her from her precarious stance. [Aiya!] She landed with a   
splash into the cold waters of the ditch.  
  
"Nihao, Ranma!" the bluish-purple haired girl atop the bike said,   
pinning him underneath it.  
  
"Shampoo...! So it *was* you!" Ranma growled.  
  
Making sure only her eyes and nose were sticking out of the water, she   
scrutinized the newcomer. Upon recognition, she gasped, nearly choking on the   
water. Finally, after so long... *Shampoo*.  
  
"Did you hear a splash?" Akane asked, directing her question to no one in   
particular.  
  
Her eyes widened, and she quickly submerged herself under the water with   
barely a trace. She watched from underneath until the three blurry figures   
left. Then, she turned away and paddled rapidly, quickly swimming away.  
  
*****  
  
She stood outside the school she'd seen the boy and girl enter. She   
looked at the mixture of kanji and hiragana written on the sign attached to the   
wall. Fu... Rin... Kan... High School? She really needed to work on her   
Japanese. Even though it was pretty hard, she was a quick learner, though she'd   
only recently begun to learn. [Fu-rin-kan High School], she repeated to   
herself. Frustrated, she pounded the butt of her spear on the dirt.  
  
If that *was* Ranma, she would test him. He couldn't possibly be worthy.   
Not even that blue haired girl had seemed interested in him! What did Shampoo   
see...  
  
She was startled as a bell rang eight times, all different notes, and all   
very clear. Her heart was pounding, but she relaxed when she realized it was   
only a school bell, nothing to be upset about. Students, both male and female   
began rushing past her. They were wearing school uniforms, the same kind that   
the blue-haired girl had been wearing. It *had* to be this school.  
  
She spotted them. There they were, walking together again. She jumped   
onto the wall and watched them pass by, too busy talking to notice her. She   
leapt from her position, aiming to touch down in front of them.  
  
Before she landed, she brandished her spear with flair, went through a few   
movements of the Chinese spear form. It was a trick she'd learned from Shampoo.   
To fool or psych out your opponent, making them think your skills were twice as   
good. Not that she really needed it, her skills alone without all the fanciness   
were enough to scare anybody. Shampoo's other trick, speaking in broken   
Japanese, worked better. She could make anybody believe she was not as smart as   
she really was. Of course, the girl's Japanese was so bad she really couldn't   
pass off that one.  
  
"Saotome Ranma! I challenge you!" she called out, pointing her spear   
directly at his neck. She'd landed about five feet in front of him, the   
distance she had estimated. Perfect.  
  
"Sh-Shampoo!" the boy whom she assumed was Ranma stuttered, "what the   
hell'd you do to your hair?"  
  
"Shampoo, leave us alone!" Akane ordered.  
  
How impertinent. They couldn't even take a challenge seriously. Very   
well, then... A few quick movements and Ranma was down on his back, caught off-  
guard. She rammed the spearhead directly at his face, but he anticipated the   
move, and her spear dove deep into the dirt, less than an inch from his temple.  
  
Her eyes widened as soon as she realized she'd missed. Not missing a   
beat, she flipped over her spear, simultaneously pulling it out of the circular   
hole she'd made as she descended once more to the ground. Then, she turned back   
to look at the two. Ranma was only starting to get up, still stunned by the   
sequence of events.  
  
"You lose. I still standing. You weak, no good for husband. I tell   
great-grandmother!" she said, and left in the direction of the NekoHanten,   
sometimes running on the ground and sometimes leaping to the building tops.  
Such disgrace must be kept out of the family...  
  
*****  
  
"Did Shampoo just dump you?" Akane said incredulously.  
  
"Don't ask me," Ranma said, rubbing the back of his sore head. That   
Shampoo sure could bash people well. And the ground wasn't exactly the softest   
place to go banging your head into. "I just wish she'd go away; back to China   
or somethin.'"  
  
Something else smacked him from behind. It knocked him off balance, but   
he was able to regain it, and turned around. Then, he was looking into   
Shampoo's eyes. Their normal red-violet brightness was gone, and she was   
definitely crying. Her mouth twitched into a pout.  
  
"Ranma hate Shampoo that much?" she asked in between sobs.  
  
He involuntarily took a step back and noticed a bonboris lying on the   
ground. One of Shampoo's famous Chinese martial arts weapons, the so called   
'double hammer.' Well, it was double when she had her other one out. It must   
have been what she'd thrown at him. Something about her was troubling him,   
though...  
  
"What's with your hair, Shampoo, and why did you attack me a few minutes   
ago?"  
  
"I no attack you, baka! Shampoo just finish delivery, and come visit.   
Ranma no appreciate Shampoo, that is why hit you."  
  
"No, no, before that," Ranma said.  
  
"Don't you know how dangerous it is to use a spear? It's a long range   
weapon! You could have hurt a bystander!" Akane told her.  
  
"Spear? Shampoo no use spear, is bonboris." She pointed down at it for   
added emphasis. Her forehead furrowed for a minute, but then her eyes widened   
much the same way they had before (or so Ranma thought), and she gasped.  
  
"Is pink hair?" she asked Ranma and Akane, gesturing at her own.  
  
"Yeah, your hair was a lot pinker before, now it's a darker purple," Ranma   
answered.  
  
"And you were wearing blue, not pink," Akane added.  
  
"Shampoo go now," she said curtly, then leapt to the roof of the nearest   
building. She was headed in the direction of the NekoHanten.  
  
[Again?] Ranma thought. "Shampoo, wait!" he called, leaping after her.  
  
"Bother. How did I get caught up in this?" Akane muttered to herself,   
then began a pursuit by ground.  
  
"Akane, come up here! It's faster!" Ranma called back down to her, after   
a quick glance over his shoulder.  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm wearing a dress!" she yelled back.  
  
"So what?"  
  
"So I can't exactly go leaping around! It's called feminine modesty! You   
could stand to learn some!"  
  
[Bah. Why should *I* learn about feminine modesty?] he thought to   
himself. "Yeah? Well, no one wants to see your polka-dot panties anyway!"  
  
"That does it!" she screamed, flinging her schoolbag at Ranma.  
  
"Ahh, Tendo Akane, the sweet sound of thy youthful voice denouncing Ranma   
is music to mine ears!"  
  
Ranma stopped. He couldn't just leave her there to face Kuno alone. He   
turned around and yelled, "Whadda ya think you're doing to Akane, you...!" but   
he stopped and never finished his sentence. The schoolbag hit him in the face   
midway through his next leap. He landed on the ground below Akane. By the time   
he brushed the dirt off his shirt and glanced around, Kuno was already flying   
from Akane's kick, most likely to land in the next city.  
  
"As if *you* care," Akane said scornfully. "I can take care of myself!"  
  
"That's fine with me, next time I'll just leave you two alone. I'm going   
to figure out this business with Shampoo."  
  
Akane fumed and her face turned a slight shade redder. Somehow, Ranma   
thought (ok, *knew*) that it wasn't a blush of embarrassment. "Ooh! Well, then   
I'm coming with you! I'm not letting you run off with Shampoo."  
  
Ranma blinked. Run off with Shampoo? As if! That tomboy. She couldn't   
be...jealous? He'd had the same thought many times before, but had brushed it   
off every single time. Yet, each time it resurfaced, the distinction was   
greater, his doubt much higher. This time, the feeling was very hard to fight   
off. He was lucky that he was holding her schoolbag. She wouldn't have   
anything to hit him with this way. She held out her arm, expecting to get it   
back. He sighed and placed the handle in her outstretched hand.  
  
"Thank you," she said. He could practically see icicles dripping from her   
words.  
  
"Let's go, then," he said uncertainly.  
  
*****  
  
By the time they got to the NekoHanten, Shampoo was out of sight. Of   
course, they had been by the NekoHanten so often that Ranma or Akane could find   
it with their eyes closed. Then again, if Ranma happened to be particularly   
hungry, he could probably find it with his nose instead of by memory.  
  
Ranma slid open the door to the NekoHanten, a slightly out-of-breath Akane   
behind him. Shampoo was standing just inside, and he nearly crashed into her in   
his haste. Akane almost bumped into him, but when she saw him stop, she raised   
her hands to cushion the collision. Her hands landed on his back, and she   
fairly bounced off of Ranma. He didn't seem to notice.  
  
She was about to yell at Ranma, but something stopped her. That instant   
her hands connected with back... It was brief, but she could feel the  
well developed muscles rippling underneath that Chinese silk shirt of his. The   
fact surprised her, that his muscles were so incredibly toned...  
  
She shook herself out of it. Why weren't Shampoo or Ranma saying   
anything? A quick glance inside told her everything.  
  
Shampoo was frozen, her head turned in the direction of a solitary table.   
The NekoHanten was vacant, save the two figures sitting at the same table her   
gaze fell upon.  
  
Ranma was staring at the table too.  
  
Akane followed their gazes, and saw Cologne and...  
  
[Oh!]  
  
A girl... A girl who looked exactly like Shampoo!  
  
"Nihao, Jie-Jie," the girl said, apparently directing her words to   
Shampoo.  
  
"Nihao, Mei-Mei," Shampoo replied.  
  
"'Jie-Jie?' 'Mei-Mei?' What do those words mean, Shampoo?" Ranma asked.   
Shampoo didn't reply.  
  
Cologne sighed. "'Jie-Jie' means O-nee-chan, or 'older sister'," she   
explained.  
  
"So... 'Mei-Mei' means 'younger sister'?" Ranma guessed.  
  
"Why, what a very smart boy you are, muku-dono," Cologne said, her voice   
echoing with pride. She was watching Ranma, so only Shampoo, Ranma, and Akane   
saw the girl's wince and her eyes narrow at the word 'muku-dono'. Apparently,   
she had something against Cologne's maternal nickname for Ranma: 'son-in-law'.  
  
Shampoo seethed with contempt for the girl. "Mao, ni wei shen ma lai de?"  
  
"In Japanese, Great-granddaughter, Japanese!" Cologne scolded.  
  
"Neko, why you come?" Shampoo said instead.  
  
"Neko?" the girl asked.  
  
"'Neko' shi Mao," Cologne explained to the girl in Chinese. "So your   
name is Neko in Japanese."  
  
"Hao," Neko replied.  
  
"Hai," Cologne corrected.  
  
Neko pounded her fist on the table and spewed off Mandarin at a rapid   
pace.  
  
"If Neko no can learn Japanese, Neko go home," Shampoo ordered.  
  
"Whoa, talk about sibling rivalry..." Ranma whispered to Akane.  
  
"No kidding..." Akane whispered back.  
  
"Neko learn," the girl vowed.  
  
"Neko no can learn. Is too hard for *weakling*," Shampoo said.  
  
"Neko can learn better than Shampoo!" she retorted.  
  
"Well... Maybe we should be going..." Ranma said, trying to pull Akane   
through the door.  
  
"Why? Neko should meet her future brother-in-law," Cologne said.  
  
Neko fumed silently.  
  
"What's going on here?" Ranma heard Mousse say from the hallway before he   
entered the restaurant's dining area. Oh, yay. More Chinese greetings.  
  
"M-mao! Why are you here?" Mousse said.  
  
Neko's eyes brightened when she saw Mousse, but then she quickly looked   
away. She couldn't let Shampoo see... She *wouldn't* let Shampoo see...  
  
But Cologne hadn't missed it.  
  
"Neko just come from China," Neko explained, "Come see o-nee-chan and   
great-grandmother."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Neko miss family."  
  
Shampoo snorted at the word 'family.' "Ranma, you leave. We stay talk.   
No want to you two hear. Is 'family' business."  
  
"Just tell me one thing..." Ranma said. Akane's brow furrowed. What did   
Ranma want to ask her?  
  
"Ne?" Shampoo said.  
  
"Is Neko *really* your sister? I mean, after RinRin and RanRan, I'm not   
really sure who's related. Maybe you guys *all* look alike."  
  
"Hmph. Not quite, muku-dono," Cologne said, "Neko *is* her sister.   
Moreover, she is Shampoo's twin."  
  
"Holy--!" Ranma started.  
  
"We should really get going, Ranma..." Akane hissed.  
  
"Perhaps I was mistaken. It really would be best if you left, muku-dono.   
Sibling rivalry is best kept away from outsiders. No offense, of course,"   
Cologne said to Ranma.  
  
"None taken," he replied lightly, and the two left.  
  
After they had left, Shampoo turned back to Neko. "Why you really come?   
Shampoo no need weakling sister to come ruin wedding with Ranma."  
  
"Luan Ma is no good for Shampoo. Is he who is weakling," Neko stated.  
  
"Aiya, use Japanese, good-for-nothing sister! Is not 'Luan Ma,' is   
*Ranma*," Shampoo said, exasperated.  
  
"Take it easy on her, Shampoo. Please. Mao -- I mean, Neko -- hasn't   
been in Japan as long as you have," Mousse said.  
  
"What you care, Mousse?" she replied coldly  
  
"Come, now, Grandchild, don't be so harsh on your sister. She claims to   
have trained extra-hard since we left China and the village."  
  
"Sister is disgrace to family."  
  
Neko stood up, slamming both her palms down on the table. The sound   
shocked both Shampoo and Mousse, but Cologne kept her cool. The table visibly   
bent underneath the pressure, and it almost regained its former shape. Almost.   
It was slightly U-shaped now.  
  
"Is he who is disgrace! Neko fight him. He lose! No can marry such weak   
male, will ruin bloodlines of village!" Neko argued.  
  
"No. Shampoo strongest Amazon of village, Shampoo lose to Ranma. Shampoo   
marry Ranma. Is law."  
  
"Ranma not worthy of Shampoo. Is only one man worthy Shampoo," Neko   
replied.  
  
"Is only Ranma!" Shampoo's pink battle aura began to swirl around her.  
  
"Mousse only man worthy Shampoo!" Neko's battle aura began to make itself   
seen, but it was purple rather than Shampoo's pink.  
  
"What?!" Shampoo yelled, her ki still growing. "Never! Shampoo beat   
Mousse many time!"  
  
"Is true," Neko said. "Mousse can beat Shampoo. Neko know."  
  
"How you know?"  
  
"Mousse never attack Shampoo with full strength. Mousse love Shampoo.   
Mousse no can bear to hurt Shampoo. Mousse rather see Shampoo happy with Ranma   
than sad with Mousse."  
  
Mousse's eyes widened behind his thick lenses. What Neko said made sense.   
Though it pained him to see Shampoo in Ranma's arms, it gave him joy to know   
Shampoo was happy. Only that bastard Saotome didn't appreciate-- *couldn't*   
appreciate Shampoo. If only he would open his eyes see what a wonderful fiancée   
he had, the beautiful, purple-haired goddess...  
  
No.  
  
He would never let Shampoo be won by Ranma. He would rather die a   
thousand deaths than see the two of them in love. Letting him near   
Shampoo was enough. Letting him see Shampoo, letting him converse with her as   
friends... Even that pushed the line. Never.  
  
"Deep in heart, Mousse no can hurt Shampoo. He not know, Shampoo   
not know, but Neko can see. Neko can see!" Neko grabbed her spear, which had   
been lying on an table. "Neko prove Ranma no good for husband!" With that, she   
ran out the door.  
  
"Finally, stupid sister gone," Shampoo snorted, but regretted her words as   
soon as she'd said them. It wasn't that she hated her sister, no... It was   
just... Her sister didn't know what it meant to be an Amazon. Argh, she   
couldn't even explain it to herself. Her sister just wasn't up to her   
standards, that was all...  
  
*****  
  
Neko raced along the streets of Nerima, tears flowing down her cheeks.   
She'd tried so hard to follow Shampoo here, only to become ostracized by her   
family once more. It wasn't like it was so bad to marry Mousse rather than   
Ranma, was it? After all, Ranma was an outsider to their village.  
  
She noticed that the ditch she'd been following had expanded, and there   
was a grassy bank above the concrete that lined it. A nice place to go and   
contemplate what had happened, or to ponder about what she should do next. She   
sat down on the soft grass, her spear next to her. The tears still rolled down   
her cheeks unheeded.  
  
"Neko..." a voice said from behind her. She recognized it.  
  
"Mousse, why you follow?" she replied.  
  
"Neko, why did you follow us here?" he asked instead.  
  
"Answer Neko question first!"  
  
"Does it really matter?"  
  
Neko was silent.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm not here to chide you. I'm not here to pick on you,   
either. I was just worried, that's all."  
  
"Why Mousse worry Neko? Mousse love Shampoo."  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
Neko tried to hold back the tears, willing them to stop. Mousse sat down   
next to her.  
  
"You're really trying to help me marry Shampoo?" he asked.  
  
Neko nodded. The tears had finally ceased their endless flow. "Ranma no   
good for Shampoo. Shampoo marry Mousse. Mousse stronger Ranma."  
  
"How do you know?" Mousse asked. "He's always beaten me before."  
  
"Mousse defeated-- Neko beat Ranma." Neko hoped he hadn't heard the   
correction in her sentence.  
  
But he had. "You still remember?"  
  
"I not forget."  
  
"It was an accident," Mousse said, stressing the word.  
  
"It wasn't just an accident, Mousse. It was... A mistake..."  
  
Then they both fell silent, both their thoughts returning to an event long   
ago... Though they remembered the same occurrence, each did so from their own   
point of view.  
  
It wasn't hard for Mousse to see how it happened. Yes, Neko and Shampoo   
were twins, and yet, they were so very different. Where Shampoo had excelled in   
combat, Neko had lagged behind, and vice versa. When Neko chose to learn the   
straight sword first, Shampoo immediately chose the broadsword instead. When   
Shampoo had chosen the staff, Neko had chosen the spear. Their sibling rivalry   
was well known throughout the entire village.  
  
So when he became infatuated with Sha-- no, wait, make that 'fell in love   
with' -- Shampoo, Neko was immediately jealous of the attention. It wasn't that   
she loved him, no... She just wanted to be able to do the same thing Shampoo   
did. Scorn males whom she felt were not worthy, would never be worthy. Neko   
wanted to feel special like Shampoo. She wanted to know that she was good   
enough to win many suitors, but also wanted suitors that were not good enough   
for her. Her self-esteem had been killed by Shampoo.  
  
Not to mention Cologne.  
  
Mousse had hung around their family long enough to know who   
Cologne's favorite was. She was always trying to help Shampoo, always calling   
her 'Great-granddaughter' or simply 'Granddaughter'. He'd never once heard   
Cologne refer to Neko as a granddaughter, rarely even calling her by her name.   
She was only known to Cologne as "Shampoo's sister."  
  
And then there was that terrible accident...  
  
It was after Shampoo and Cologne had left for Japan; Shampoo's second   
trip. Of course, they had refrained from telling him where they were going so   
he wouldn't follow. So when he visited Shampoo, he hadn't known that only Neko   
remained...  
  
"I challenge you!" he'd called out as soon as he saw a person whom he'd   
thought was Shampoo.  
  
The girl had rushed at him, answering his dare, and a long battle ensued.   
He was punched, kicked, but he could feel his own strikes getting through. It   
wasn't until he began to tire, when he was sure he would lose that he realized   
he would be defeated by Shampoo again. No. He couldn't let that happen. As   
much as it pained him to see Shampoo hurt, he would win. He *had* to win.  
  
"Forgive me, Shampoo!" he'd cried, and launched his yo-yo in her general   
direction.  
  
"Shampoo?" he heard the girl say before the yo-yo hit her squarely in the   
forehead.  
  
He didn't hear anything else, and he realized he must have knocked Shampoo   
out cold. A great feeling of joy spread from his heart and set his whole being   
aflame. The thought of winning, of knowing Shampoo was now his, nothing could   
compare to it...  
  
Except the feeling of utter despair when he'd put on his glasses   
to examine Shampoo's wounds.  
  
It wasn't Shampoo lying there.  
  
It was Neko.  
  
End of Chapter 1 


	2. Sibling Rivalry

Ranma Nibunnoichi is (c) Rumiko Takahashi, Shounen Sunday Comics, Kitty TV, and   
Viz Video.  
  
  
Here Comes Neko!  
A Ranma Nibunnoichi fan fiction  
By Luna Hinomura  
http://fly.to/Luna's  
  
Chapter 2: Sibling Rivalry  
  
Remembering the unhappy events of her past, Neko stared at her feet and   
gently stroked the soft green grasses of the slight hill she and Mousse were   
sitting on. As always, the drainage ditch was full of water, the same water   
she'd fallen into earlier this morning. But now, it was so peaceful here, no   
prejudice, no hatred... Sometimes it seemed to her that she was getting a lot   
of that. Always had, and probably always will. But if she averted her eyes,   
looked down at her feet, no one could accuse her of pretending she was something   
she wasn't. No one would punish her for looking down at someone higher than   
she.  
  
Mousse was different, though. She found a kindred spirit in Mousse. He   
had suffered the same pain she had in Joketsuzoku, but he was a male and she was   
practically treated like a male by her Great-grandmother and sister. What she   
wouldn't give to know what a true family was like. But Mousse, Mousse was the   
closest friend she had. Back in their village, no one dared interfere with   
Cologne, the Matriarch of Joketsuzoku. Because of that, no one wished to   
befriend her, for fear of facing her Great-grandmother's wrath.  
  
She turned to the myopic boy sitting on her right. The expression on his   
face made her wonder if he was thinking of the same things she was, if he truly   
understood the hell she lived in.  
  
No...  
  
Probably not...  
  
"Neko never tell. Great-grandmother not know. Shampoo not know. Mousse   
no have to marry Neko, no worry," she said.  
  
"I-- that's good... Arigato," Mousse stuttered. Neko sighed. "Why do   
you sigh, Neko?"  
  
She struggled to find the correct words in Japanese, but was unable to.   
She began speaking in Mandarin again, knowing Mousse would understand.  
  
"I wish my family wouldn't keep pushing me away."  
  
"That's not true, Neko. They don't do that," Mousse said reluctantly in   
their native Mandarin as well, realizing his words were all a lie.  
  
"Mousse, you don't have to cheer me up." She looked back at the cold   
waters of the ditch. "You've seen for yourself what they're like."  
  
Mousse didn't say anything. He knew all too well what Cologne and Shampoo   
were like when they wanted to keep someone out.  
  
"Shampoo always like that," Neko said, reverting back to Japanese.   
"Gomenasai, Mousse -- Neko need learn Japanese if want live here. It hard   
learning on my own."  
  
"Would it help if I tutored you? I had to learn Japanese on my own as   
well. I know Shampoo is smart, but I don't know why she refuses to learn it."   
He exhaled loudly through his nose and raised his glasses high on his forehead.   
"I wish she would let me teach her."  
  
"Shampoo never tell you?" Neko asked, looking deep into his eyes. She   
liked it when Mousse didn't wear his glasses, because she had always thought his   
blue-green eyes were beautiful. She wanted Mousse to marry Shampoo because she   
felt Shampoo deserved Mousse. Long ago, when they were still children, Shampoo   
had been different, had been very caring to her. It was so far back that she   
doubted if Shampoo would remember any of it, but Neko was not one to forget   
people's kindness. From her point of view, kindness was so rare that she   
treasured it as one might value baubles, gems, or other jewelry.  
  
"Tell me what?" Mousse said, looking back at the pink blur he knew to be   
Neko.  
  
"Shampoo know Japanese very well. She only speak like this to fool enemy.   
Maybe she think you stupid, so she talk like this to make fun of you. Because   
she like power."  
  
"What power, Neko? Are you sure she knows Japanese?"  
  
"She have power over you, Mousse. She speak like that so you want teach   
her. But she know that you no understand that she already know Japanese. So   
she think you stupid. *That* how she make fun of you. She manipulate you. She   
very good at it."  
  
"She really knows Japanese, huh?" he said softly. "What a fool I am."  
  
"No, Mousse, not only you. She trick Great-grandmother too. She trick   
everybody except me. Neko heard Shampoo speak Japanese before. Shampoo no can   
trick twin sister."  
  
He chuckled. "Neko, you surprise me. Come, let's return. They might be   
worried, and I'm sure they'll let you stay at the NekoHanten. After all, the   
females are dominant in the Amazon tribe, and they let me stay there. So   
they'll have to let you."  
  
"Hai," she replied, using the new vocabulary words Cologne had taught her.  
  
*****  
  
"Ranma, what do you think of Neko?"  
  
He paused midway through his 56th push-up, muscles rippling beneath his   
silk shirt. Knowing Akane, he had better choose his words wisely. One Freudian   
slip and her now peaceful countenance would give way to her temper. Turning his   
head to look at her, he saw she was gazing at him intently.  
  
Was she jealous again? No... It couldn't be. She just wanted to sort   
things out, as much as he wanted. Exercise, martial arts... These things   
allowed him to take his mind away. To concentrate on something else and let his   
physical body handle itself, almost like an automaton. That was when he could   
muse about his past experiences, or where his future was headed.  
  
"What about Neko?" he asked finally, following through with his push-up.   
57, 58, 59...  
  
"Don't you kinda... Feel sorry for her?"  
  
He paused again. "I don't know."  
  
"Ranma, you've seen how they treat Mousse. How Shampoo treats Mousse.   
What if they treat Neko the same way?"  
  
He hadn't thought of that one. "Akane, she's Shampoo's sister. I thought   
you hated Shampoo." 60, 61...  
  
"I don't hate Shampoo, and don't use my own words against me! I'm just   
worried about Neko, that's all."  
  
"If you're so worried, why don't you visit them?" 62, 63...  
  
"We just got back from the NekoHanten, Ranma. Hey -- that's interesting.   
Why did Cologne open a shop called NekoHanten, anyway? I always thought it was   
because Shampoo turns into a cat--" Akane saw Ranma wince. She continued,   
pretending not to notice "--but maybe she named it after Neko."  
  
"Yeah, right. I doubt it, Akane. Anyway, we don't even know if the old   
bag treats Neko the same way we saw Shampoo treat her." 64, 65, 66...  
  
"I guess you're right. Are you hungry?"  
  
"Now that you mention it, it's almost dinner time," Ranma said, smiling.   
He ended his exercise with the 67th push-up.  
  
"Let's go eat at the NekoHanten, and see Neko."  
  
"Won't Kasumi mind?"  
  
"No, let's just go."  
  
"What about your dad? And my oyaji?"  
  
"We'll ask them for permission," she said, pulling Ranma along by his   
wrist.  
  
"Hey! Cut it out!" he cried as she dragged him down the stairs, out the   
back door, and into the Dojo.  
  
"Dad!" Akane called as soon as they entered. Soun and Genma were sitting   
on the porch of the Dojo, playing a game of go. Normally, they played on the   
porch in the house, but they must have decided to play in the Dojo instead,   
perhaps avoiding some confrontations between Akane and Ranma.  
  
"What is it, Akane?" Soun asked.  
  
"Ranma and I going to out to eat dinner."  
  
"Lovely idea, Akane! I'm so glad you've said 'yes'," Soun replied.  
  
"Yes? Yes to what?"  
  
"Ah, my ingrate son! You've finally taken your father's wisdom and   
asked Akane out on a date! You've developed a great deal of confidence. But  
you really shouldn't go on one looking like that..." Genma said.  
  
"Dad! Mr. Saotome! It's nothing like that! Why don't you say   
something, Ranma?"  
  
Ranma-chan took this opportunity to spit out the leaves and grass that   
Akane had piled into her mouth from their wild trek across the yard. "Hey,   
Akane, did you even see Nabiki was standing in the doorway drinking water back   
there? You've got so much macho strength that you didn't even notice when I got   
lighter." She tightened the sash she used to keep her pants up. "Thanks a lot,   
tomboy."  
  
Akane slapped Ranma, leaving a red handprint on her left cheek. "You're   
so selfish! Thinking about only yourself at a time like this! We're trying to   
go see if they're mistreating Neko."  
  
"Yeah, well, if you want to leave, I'm ready."  
  
"Don't you want to boil some water?"  
  
Ranma ran her fingers through her wet bangs, sending some of the water   
flying. "Why should I? If I go as a guy, the people there'll think I'm going   
out on a date with an uncute tomboy! I'd rather go like this than--"  
  
*BAM*  
  
"Akane? Are you sure you want Ranma to go like that?" Soun asked.  
  
"It's ok, Dad, I'd rather carry 'her' there than walk with 'him'." She   
picked up onna-teki Ranma's unconscious body and carried her piggyback style.  
  
"Ranma! Don't forget to pop the Big Question!" Genma called.  
  
Akane grumbled until they were well out of site.  
  
*****  
  
"Jeez, Akane, my head hurts."  
  
"Oh, be quiet, Ranma. I'm trying to look for Neko."  
  
"Well, I see Mousse."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"He's tied up to that bar stool over there." Ranma pointed in  
Muumuu-chan's direction. "I wish he'd stop quacking. It's making my headache  
worse."  
  
"Stop complaining! Just be a man and take it."  
  
"You're the last person who should be saying that to me," she replied,   
scowling.  
  
"Wait! There's Neko."  
  
Neko came walking through the door that led from the dining area to the   
living quarters behind the restaurant, clothed in the same attire as Shampoo   
normally wore when she was working, but Neko was wearing shades of blue, rather   
than Shampoo's choice of pink. Though she held a pen and pad for taking   
people's orders, she stared at her feet as she walked and looked downright   
depressed. When she passed by Cologne, she glanced up at her Great-grandmother,   
in hopes of approval.   
  
Cologne did nothing, only concentrated harder on her stir-frying. Neko   
continued walking to their table.  
  
"They're so alike, and yet, so different," Akane said.  
  
"Welcome to NekoHanten! I take your order?" Neko said, sounding rather   
cheerful, despite the obvious emotion that was written on her face.  
  
"Yo, Neko, how are ya?" Ranma said softly so as not to aggravate her   
headache.  
  
"Who you are?" Neko said, blinking confusedly at Ranma.  
  
"That's right," Akane whispered. "She doesn't know about Jusenkyo."  
  
"Jusenkyo?" Neko asked.  
  
"You're not only a bad cook, but you suck at speaking softly, too," Ranma   
said to Akane. Then he turned to Neko and said lightly, "Oh, it's nothing. You   
can just call me Tendo Ranko. I'm Akane's cousin."  
  
"You go to Jusenkyo?" Neko asked, ignoring Ranma's last sentence.  
  
"Do *you* know about Jusenkyo?" Akane said.  
  
"Neko, stop conversing with the customers! There's more tables to be   
waited on!" Cologne called. "Shampoo! Take Neko's place."  
  
"Hai!" Shampoo said, all too happy to wait on Ranma's table.   
Unfortunately, she was slightly miffed that onna-teki Ranma had shown up rather   
than otoko-teki Ranma. Despite all the time she'd spent with Ranma, she was   
still having problems adjusting to his girl-type.  
  
Neko turned around and pretended to walk over to the stove. She glanced   
around. Cologne took this opportunity to go to the back of the restaurant and   
get more supplies to cook with for the customers. Shampoo was too busy paying   
attention to Ranma. In one quick movement, she untied the rope from Mousse's   
neck and from the barstool, then walked over and pushed him through the door   
into the living area. She returned to her position at the counter by the stove   
almost as soon as Cologne reappeared.  
  
she thought to herself in Japanese, practicing the   
foreign language even in her mind.   
  
"Bring these jiao zhi over to table ten," Cologne said, throwing twelve   
potstickers at Neko.  
  
She gasped, and picked up a plate from the counter, barely able to catch   
them all in time.  
  
"Whoo-hoo!" "Yeah!" "All right!"  
  
The people dining in the NekoHanten cheered as they watched Neko deftly   
poured a thin stream of soy sauce over the potstickers, and softly placed it   
down on the correct table. The men always loved whenever a new call-girl was   
hired to work there, and they missed seeing the red-haired girl who was always   
fighting with Cologne (although that one chick over there resembled her...).   
The night's profits were much higher than the night before.  
  
But Cologne and Shampoo would never admit it.  
  
Not even to themselves.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma and Akane stayed at the restaurant until after everyone had left,   
even near the NekoHanten's closing time. Neither Cologne nor Shampoo objected   
to their presence (well, maybe Akane's...), they tolerated it rather well. Neko   
did not mind them being there, but she had no voice in Shampoo and Cologne's   
opinions anyway. She kept her indifference to herself.  
  
"Saotome, it is almost time to close the NekoHanten and for us to go to   
sleep. Unlike you two, we have to work to make a living, and it's very tiring.   
I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Anyway, don't you have school tomorrow?"  
  
"Tomorrow's the weekend, Mousse, lighten up," Ranma-chan replied, waving   
her hand as if she could fan Mousse's words away.  
  
"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Cologne said, teasing Mousse.  
  
"Jealous? Of Saotome?! How *dare* you assume that *I* would be jealous,   
you--"  
  
"Mousse, you have time teach Neko Japanese now?" Neko intervened, trying   
to avoid any confrontations. She hated the bickering that went on every time   
Cologne or Mousse spoke a word to each other.  
  
"Why Mousse jealous? Mousse have *Neko* to chase after now," Shampoo   
laughed, seeing both Mousse's and Neko's faces turn bright red. "Weakling and   
weakling can marry each other, then Shampoo take Ranma." At the words "take   
Ranma," she deliberately winked coyly at Ranma's table. Akane glared back.  
  
Neko glared at her sister as well. She pulled Mousse to a table near   
Ranma and Akane's and sat him down. "Mousse teach Neko how to read and write   
Japanese, is ok?" she asked Mousse.  
  
He nodded. "Let me get a pen and paper for you, and maybe some books."   
He left the room and headed up the stairs for his bedroom.  
  
Cologne looked up from where she was wiping the counter. "My, how your   
sister has changed, Shampoo. She's much more willing to learn Ranma's language   
than you are."  
  
Shampoo winced, her pride struck by Cologne's words. In anger, she turned   
to her sister to issue a retort. "That only because Shampoo know Ranma come to   
China to marry her. Is *Ranma* who need to learn Chinese, not *Shampoo* who   
need Japanese."  
  
"Hey, now, wait a sec--"  
  
"Aiya! Ranma, I so happy you agree!" Shampoo said, smiling at Ranma.  
  
"So, that Ranma?" Neko said from her table, confusion written across her   
face.  
  
Shampoo reached over and smacked the back of her sister's head. "Keep   
quiet when no one talk to you," she said, walking over to Cologne. "Great-  
grandmother, need hot water."  
  
"Here, Shampoo." Cologne said, hopping over to Ranma's table via her   
staff. A kettle full of hot water hung from the top of it. She picked up the   
kettle and poured the contents over Ranma's head.  
  
"Thanks, old ghoul," Ranma said, who didn't sound very grateful at all.  
  
Neko blinked, holding the back of her head where Shampoo had hit her.   
  
  
"Aiya! Xie xie, Great-grandmother!" Shampoo exclaimed, thanking Cologne.   
She threw her arms around Ranma-kun's neck.  
  
"Hey, get offa me! Stop that! Hey, Shampoo!"  
  
"Shampoo, stop that!" Akane yelled, picking up her glass, which was more   
than half full of water. Shampoo only held Ranma closer and tighter. Then, she   
turned to Akane and stuck out her tongue.  
  
"Be-daaaa!"  
  
"THAT DOES IT!" Akane screamed, tossing the contents of her drinking glass   
over the two.  
  
"Look out!" Ranma said, ducking while he pushed Shampoo down and out of   
the way of the cold water. The sudden jolt threw Shampoo off balance, and she   
grabbed at the edge of the table.  
  
"He-hey!" Akane exclaimed before the table came crashing down in front of   
her. She jumped out of the way, letting Ranma dive down to catch it before it   
hit the ground.  
  
Through all the commotion, no one saw the water continue on its flight and   
hit Neko.  
  
End of Chapter 2 


	3. Friendship

Ranma Nibunnoichi is (c) Rumiko Takahashi, Shounen Sunday Comics, Kitty TV, and   
Viz Video.  
  
  
Here Comes Neko!  
A Ranma Nibunnoichi fan fiction  
By Luna Hinomura  
http://fly.to/Luna's  
  
Chapter 3: Friendship  
  
Neko felt the cold water hit her, and prayed that her Great-grandmother   
would also be too busy to see what would happen. She could feel the remnants of   
her human form melting away, as she became the monstrosity she had learned to   
accept. The others, who never tolerated her as a person, would surely not   
tolerate her now.  
  
So she ran.  
  
Escaped.  
  
Retreated.  
  
Those words sounded so pitiful to her ears, synonymous with the word   
surrender.  
  
Gave up.  
  
How pathetic. Shampoo would never have run away from what she feared.   
What Neko had always feared. Hate. Prejudice. Dislike. Hate. Hate.   
Hatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehatehate. Not wanted. Not loved.   
No, Shampoo would have stood her ground. Shampoo would have looked her opponent   
in the eye, stared them down in a contest of strength and willpower.  
  
She ducked underneath the chairs, and heading out the door of the   
ekoHanten. She ran, ran from the notice of the people whom she sought the   
reatest approval from.  
  
"Come, come, now, stop bickering. You *will* clean that up, Shampoo. And   
where is your sister?" she heard Cologne say before she was out of earshot.  
  
*****  
  
"Stupid sister right behind Shampoo," Shampoo replied, picking herself up   
from the floor where Ranma had knocked both of them. She reached down and   
helped Ranma set the table back to its original position.  
  
"No she's not," Akane said, looking around Shampoo into the dining area   
behind her. She turned around again and again, her eyes peering through the dim   
light, searching the NekoHanten. "She's gone."  
  
"Neko? I have some reading materials from when I was learning Japanese,"   
Mousse said as he entered the room, his glasses on and his arms full of books.   
He reached the table where Neko had been sitting before her disappearance.   
"Where did she go?" he wondered aloud.  
  
"We're trying to figure that out," Ranma said.  
  
Angry, Mousse turned on him. "It was a *rhetorical question*," he lied,   
enjoying the brief look of fury that flashed across Ranma's face. He took a   
step around the table, advancing towards the three. "And furthermore--" Mousse   
slipped on the water Akane had thrown, landing hard on his back amidst a mess of   
now-soggy books and pages.  
  
"Quak ga gaaa quack gwaaa!" Mousse finished in his duck form.  
  
Shampoo gasped, taking a step back from the puddle on the floor. She   
kneeled down as close as she dared to come to it, and stared. "Is cold water...   
That mean Neko went to Jusenkyo, too..." she murmured.  
  
"No way! Then where is she?" Ranma asked.  
  
Cologne pointed at the trail of wet footsteps on the floor. They led from   
the puddle to the door. "Tiny paw prints," she mused. "Like a cat's."  
  
"A ca-ca-ca-cat?" Ranma said, the familiar pangs of fear edging into his   
mind. He backed into Akane.  
  
Akane sidestepped around Ranma, knelt down, and examined the paw prints.   
"A cat, just like Shampoo...? Why *did* you name Neko that, anyway?"  
  
"I never named Shampoo's sister. I'm her *Great-grandmother*, not her   
*mother*!" Cologne replied sharply. "This doesn't concern you. Mousse asked   
you to leave, and I am afraid I must tell you as well. Leave this to us. We'll   
figure out what's going on.  
  
"But if Neko--"  
  
"No. Leave this business with Neko to us."  
  
*****  
  
She stopped running when the NekoHanten was out of site, then leapt up to   
the top of a fence with all the ease and grace of a cat.  
  
A cat.  
  
That's all she was now, and not even a normal cat. No *normal* cat would   
have what she had. If she turned her head to the left or right, she could see   
the tips of them, still slightly damp from the cold water, glistening in the   
faint moonlight. She shook one, then the other, sending a spray of water   
flying. At least that was the only part she gained from the second spring she'd   
fallen into. Folding them up, she could hide them and look like a normal cat.   
Shuddering, she thanked her lucky stars that she had not acquired a bill as   
well.  
  
She'd never planned on falling in those dratted Jusenkyo springs. She'd   
only gone there to train, believing herself to be good enough, to be strong   
enough to refrain from falling in. However, she was never given that chance.   
If only she hadn't been so naive, so gullible... Her first curse had been   
gained through heroics, heroics she had never even been thanked for.  
  
Her first adventure to Jusenkyo was a failure. After Shampoo had left for   
Japan the first time, she went to train simply because she wished to be better   
at the arts, as good as Shampoo was. So she could show her sister how much   
stronger and more skilled she had become. To be appreciated by Cologne. To be   
noticed. When she went there, however, things didn't turn out as she planned.   
Before she could even see the cursed springs, she heard a girl splashing and   
crying for help. Someone was drowning.  
  
Dropping her bag, she'd taken off at a run, to aid the girl. When she   
reached the girl, a Jusenkyo guide was standing there, telling the history of   
the spring, something called the "Niang ni Quan". A girl she recognized, a   
younger girl named Mei Hua from her own village was flailing around in the   
water. Neko had learned to swim long ago, but she knew that not many other   
members of Joketsuzoku cared to do so.  
  
"Sister, help me!" the girl cried, barely able to keep her head above the   
water.  
  
Neko dove in, pulling the girl out and onto shore. The girl collapsed in   
a tired heap, gasping for breath.  
  
"Xie xie, Shan Pu jie-jie," the girl said, coughing up water. Then the   
girl turned to look up at her rescuer.  
  
"Bu ke qi," Neko said, unable to think of anything else to say except   
"you're welcome." The girl had thought she was Shampoo...?  
  
"You're not Shan Pu!" the girl exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger in   
Neko's face.  
  
"What?"   
  
"You! You're Shan Pu's sister! No one likes you! The Matriarch hates   
you! Shan Puu jie-jie hates you! *I* hate you!  
  
Neko was stunned by the turn of events. Mei Hua was completely ungrateful   
for Neko's help, which meant she was one of the villagers who sided with   
Cologne. "But I just saved your life..." Neko said softly, her forehead   
furrowing.  
  
"I don't care! I would rather have *died* than let *you* save my life!   
Shan Puu jie-jie says you're weak! I can't believe I was saved by a   
*weakling*!!" Mei Hua screamed, pulling Neko by the collar of her shirt up to   
her face. "You will never, *ever* tell anyone about this. And this is your   
punishment..." Mei Hua pulled Neko to an apparently random spring and shoved   
her in. "Now, you will live as your namesake."  
  
When Neko pushed through the water back up to the surface, everything was   
different. The sights, the sounds, the smells... Everything was different.   
She pulled herself out of the spring.  
  
[Why did Mei Hua do that?] she wondered to herself. [My 'namesake'? What   
does that mean?] She turned around to look at her reflection in the spring, to   
see what she had become.  
  
She froze in shock. If she had screamed, it would no longer have sounded   
human.  
  
Instead, people passing by would have heard the yowl of a frightened,   
submissive cat.  
  
*****  
  
She shuddered, remembering her worst memories, ones that she had buried   
even deeper than the pain from being ostracized by her family. And if that   
wasn't enough, there was the second curse added onto it. That one had been her   
own fault.  
  
After she'd heard rumors of Mousse returning to China from his search in   
Japan for Shampoo, she'd set off immediately to look for her only childhood   
friend. She passed by all the places where he usually visited, but he had not   
shown up at any of them. However, she'd gained more information from asking   
around, and learned that he'd gone to Jusenkyo.  
  
Jusenkyo. The cursed springs.  
  
No! She had to prevent Mousse from making the same mistake she'd made.   
She got to Jusenkyo as fast as she could, hoping to reach it before Mousse got   
there.  
  
But he reached it the same time as she, and had already taken a step   
towards one of the springs. She hopped from one bamboo pole to another, trying   
to warn him in time...  
  
She was standing on a pole almost directly above him when he slipped and   
fell in. He crashed against the pole when he fell in, knocking her down...  
  
Down...  
  
Into another spring...  
  
The same spring Mousse fell into.  
  
*****  
  
How strange it seemed to her. A cat with wings: almost an oxymoron in   
itself. Luckily, with her wings folded now, nobody would recognize what she   
truly looked like. It was easy to hide her wings, but not easy to hide her   
sorrow. Mousse knew her curse, but nobody else did. How would she ever explain   
to Cologne and Shampoo about what she had done, about what she had been through?   
They were more likely to accuse her of being too impulsive rather than find   
sympathy in her situation.  
  
"RANMA! LOOK OUT!!"  
  
Neko turned in the direction of the shout, and saw Ranma running along the   
fence, the blue-haired girl named Akane following along the ground.  
  
"AAAAAAH!!! It's a ca-ca-caaaaat!" Ranma screamed, leaping off the fence   
straight into Akane's arms. Unable to bear the weight, Akane fell back, with   
the frightened Ranma curled into the fetal position on her lap.  
  
She sat there, bewildered for a second before her mind caught up with the   
chain of events that had occurred. Blushing, she briskly slapped Ranma off of   
her lap in order to hide her embarrassment. She hoped he wouldn't see her   
crimson cheeks in the halo of light from a nearby street lamp.  
  
Looking up at the cat, she found it was scrutinizing her with the exact   
same amount of interest.  
  
"Ranma," Akane whispered to the trembling body next to her, ignoring his   
fear. "Do you think that's Neko?"  
  
"Miao," Neko said, pretending to be a cat. She began to lick her paw,   
feigning a lack of interest in the two people who had happened upon her.  
  
"Here, kitty, kitty..." Akane said, holding her hand out to Neko.  
  
"HISSSSSSSS!" Neko replied. Ranma yelped at Neko's response, clinging   
closer to Akane for protection. This time, Akane ignored his presence.  
  
"Well, fine, then, do you want to go back to the NekoHanten?!" Akane   
yelled at her, angering suddenly. "Do you want to go back where Shampoo and   
Cologne are?!"  
  
"Miao," Neko said sadly, still attempting to appear like a typical cat out   
and about. She started walking away from them, placing her paws delicately one   
in front of the other along the fence.  
  
"Where are you going to sleep? Where are you going to live?!" Akane   
yelled. "We're trying to *help* you, Neko!"  
  
She stopped. It had taken her a long time traveling to reach Japan. On   
the road, she was by herself and very, very lonely. There had been many times   
she'd longed for a companion, a friend...  
  
Turning around, she uttered another miao. This time, it sounded   
expectant, almost as if she was saying, "Ok, you've got a point...but why should   
I go with you?"  
  
Out of ideas, Akane turned to Ranma. "Help me!" she whispered harshly.  
  
"But it's a-a-a-a-a-a-a ca-ca-ca-cat!" Ranma stuttered.  
  
"It's *Neko*," Akane said coldly.  
  
"You don't know that," Ranma replied.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Same thing happened to me, before, ya know. It had to do with Ryoga--"   
he stopped, cutting his sentence off. He'd promised never to betray Ryoga's   
secret to Akane, and he wouldn't. An honorable martial artist would never go   
back on a promise or a challenge. "I mean, ah, Mousse. Remember, when I   
thought you were a duck?"  
  
Neko meowed at the mention of Mousse, jumping down from the fence and   
walking over to Akane. She approached her from the opposite side as Ranma, to   
prevent scaring him any further. Unfortunately, her precautions did not work.  
  
"GET IT AWAY!" Ranma yelled, holding Akane closer.  
  
"Ranma, get *off* of me!" Akane yelled. "You're squeezing me too tight!"  
  
Neko backed off. The silhouette of another person attracted her   
attention. She watched as the shadowy figure began to run towards the two,   
dropping what looked like a backpack. As he reached the light from the street   
lamp, she could tell it was a boy about Ranma's age, wearing shades of yellow   
and black, a bandanna...  
  
"Ranma, how *dare* you treat Akane in that manner! Release her at once!"   
the boy barked, grabbing Ranma by his collar. Ranma's grip on Akane loosened,   
and she took a grateful breath of air. Ranma turned on the boy, bracing himself   
for the punch the boy was obviously happy to give.  
  
"Miao?" Neko asked, confused.  
  
"Ryoga! Stop! It's not his fault, we're just trying to get this cat to   
follow us home, and Ranma's afraid of cats, remember?" Akane pleaded, trying to   
get the boy to release Ranma.  
  
"Huh?" Ryoga said, still holding his fist up to pummel Ranma with. "Why   
do you want that cat to follow you home?" He dragged Ranma over to the cat,   
reaching down as if to pet her.  
  
"Miao!" Neko exclaimed as Ryoga roughly picked her and shoved her in   
Ranma's face.  
  
"So, Akane likes this cat, huh? So she wants to bring this cat home and   
take care of it, huh? I'll bet *you* want the cat, don't you?" Ryoga asked, in   
between Ranma's begs of "No! Ah! Get it away! Stop!" "You're trying to GET   
RID OF P-CHAN, AREN'T YOU?!!"  
  
"MEEEEEOW!" Neko screeched, scratching up both Ryoga's hand and Ranma's   
face. Ryoga dropped her as she had planned, but more from surprise rather than   
from the pain. Landing softly on her delicate paws, she walked over to Akane.  
  
"Honestly. They never learn," Akane scoffed, gently gathering the cat   
into her arms with no resistance, and walked off in the direction of the Tendo   
Dojo.  
  
*****  
  
Akane unlocked and slid open the front door. "I'm home!" she called,   
taking off her shoes in the foyer.  
  
"Welcome home, Akane," Kasumi replied, going to greet Akane at the door.   
Noticing the cat, she added, "Oh, my, is that your...new pet?"  
  
"Well... Sort-of..."  
  
"That cat looks like NekoShampoo," Nabiki said, joining them. She leaned   
over to peer at the cat. "*Is* that NekoShampoo?"  
  
"MROOW!!" was the angry reply.  
  
"I guess not..." Nabiki murmured, pulling her head back.  
  
"No, Nabiki, it's Akane's new pet. Don't you remember when Shampoo mailed   
herself here? She let each of us hold her except for Akane, so it *can't* be   
NekoShampoo," Kasumi said.  
  
Nabiki considered her older sister's words. "You've got a point. As long   
as the cat doesn't eat as much as that P-chan, Daddy won't mind."  
  
"Well, she's not really a pet," Akane tried to explain. "Anyway, I'm   
going to take a bath. I'll explain it to you guys later."  
  
"Explain what?" Nabiki and Kasumi looked at each other, confused. Akane   
didn't answer, and only continued on into the bathing room.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma dodged another of Ryoga's vicious kicks, countering with a punch.   
He felt his tightened fist connect squarely with Ryoga's chest, sending him   
flying into the fence. The fence took the impact rather badly, leaving behind a   
very noticeable dent. Ryoga shoved himself up, and launched at Ranma with a   
jumping inside crescent kick. Ranma anticipated the move, but was not fast   
enough to avoid it. Ryoga had been aiming at Ranma's head, but it caught his   
shoulder instead, dropping him to the ground.  
  
Hitting the dirt, Ranma got the wind knocked out of him. He coughed,   
trying to rid his lungs of the dust their fight had flung into the air. Ryoga   
paused to clear his lungs too, and Ranma took the break in Ryoga's fighting   
pattern to launch a front sweep kick, which brought Ryoga to the ground. Once   
there, Ranma grabbed the front of Ryoga's shirt and pinned him.  
  
"I ain't trying to replace you, P-chan! Get that through your thick   
skull!"  
  
"You can't trick me, Ranma! How *dare* you try to replace Akane's   
favorite pet!"  
  
"I'd replace you in a flash, but this ain't about you!"   
  
"So, you admit it!" Ryoga accused. "You *are* trying to get rid of me! I   
won't let you!"  
  
"I just said it ain't about *you*! Can't you see this is about Shampoo?!"   
Ranma yelled, pulling Ryoga closer.  
  
"Shampoo?" Ryoga paused for a moment.  
  
Ranma relaxed his hands, but still grasped Ryoga's shirt. "Yeah, now let   
me explain, ok, P-brain?"  
  
"I see now..." Ryoga said.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You've been chasing after Shampoo again, is that it?!"  
  
"Now why the hell would I do that?! You P-brained idiot! If you're so   
worried that you're gonna get replaced, why don't you just ask Akane?!   
Akane...?" Ranma looked around. "Uh... Where's Akane?"  
  
"She must have left when we began to fight! You deceived me, Ranma! You   
only fought because you knew Akane would leave and play with her new pet!" Ryoga   
grabbed Ranma's hands, trying to pry them off.  
  
"Then *do* something about it," Ranma said, releasing Ryoga suddenly.   
"*I'm* going after Akane." He took off, running along the rooftops.  
  
"I promise I'll get there first, Ranma..." Ryoga vowed, following.  
  
*****  
  
Kasumi held another of Akane's dresses in front of her. "Neko, do you   
like this one? It's very cute." Bringing it down, she saw that Neko was   
already wearing one of Akane's outfits, a combination of shirt and pants that   
imitated Chinese silks. No wonder Neko had picked it.  
  
"So how does it fit?" Nabiki said, holding the cloth.  
  
"Fit ok. Why all stretched out around waist?"  
  
Fighting the urge to giggle at Akane's abrupt change of emotions from   
Neko's words, Kasumi brought a hand up to her mouth. Ranma had said practically   
the same thing when he--or rather, when *Ranma-chan*--had been forced to wear   
Akane's clothes.  
  
Akane cleared her throat and tried to ignore the double meaning to what   
Neko had asked. "So, Neko," she said, "are you going to tell us about yourself?   
What happened that made your Great-grandmother and Shampoo hate you so much?"  
  
"Is long story. It happen when-- Aiya!" Neko jumped as a crash of   
thunder shook the house. "It rain soon? Good thing got back in time. What   
about Ranma and that other boy? Ranma go Jusenkyo, turn female. Is right?"  
  
"Who cares about Ranma? He's gotten stuck out in the rain before," Akane   
muttered.  
  
"Akane no care about fiancée? Neko no understand."  
  
"Well, the first thing is, our *parents* arranged it. Second, we're going   
to have to correct your grammar. I heard you asking Mousse about teaching you   
Japanese. Maybe we could help you instead." Akane saw a flash of lightning   
outside her window. Moments later, another crash of thunder rumbled, and the   
rain began pouring.  
  
"If Akane help Neko learn Japanese, I tell you Neko's life. Come." She   
beckoned, heading down the stairs. Akane followed, but heard sounds of fighting   
long before she had reached the first floor.  
  
"I'll replace you with that cat, just you watch!" she heard someone say.   
"You stupid, stupid, pig!"  
  
"Buiiii!"  
  
"Aiyaaa!" she heard Neko cry, and the sounds of a body hitting the ground   
echoed in her ears.  
  
"Whoops! Sorry, Neko!" Ranma called over her shoulder, running through   
the house.  
  
"Ranma?! Neko?!" Akane scrambled downstairs, seeing Ranma chasing P-chan   
around. Neko was sprawled on the floor next to big splotches of water, which   
resembled the shape of Ranma's shoes and P-chan's feet. She knelt down, helping   
Neko up. "Why that jerk!" she said. "He knocked you over!"  
  
"No, is because Neko try get out of way. If he hit me, I be cat again.   
He covered in cold rainwater."  
  
"Come back here, P-brain!!" Akane heard the sounds of the chase   
approaching them once more, saw P-chan was heading straight past her. She   
caught him as he ran by, then stuck out her leg. Ranma was pursuing P-chan   
closely, and had no time to stop. He tripped on Akane's extended leg and slid   
along the floor. Nabiki watched until he came to a stop, then poured a generous   
amount of hot water over his head.  
  
"Come on, Ranma. You might find this interesting," Nabiki said.  
  
"Wha?"  
  
Neko looked at him. "I tell about Neko's life. You want hear?"  
  
*****  
  
"So that is story," Neko finished, bringing the cup of tea Kasumi had   
poured for her up to lips. The Tendos and the Saotomes were sitting around the   
dinner table, intrigued by Neko's tale. Of course, she took care to leave out   
the part where she'd fallen into the second spring. There was no need to tell   
them too much.  
  
"Wow. You're nothing at *all* like Shampoo," Akane said as Neko sipped   
her tea. "But somehow you both got the same curse at-- Is something wrong?"  
  
Neko had begun to choke on her tea when Akane had mentioned the curse.   
"No, is only Neko and sister more alike than you think," Neko replied, coughing.   
"But we different in many ways, too. You think is strange?"  
  
"Not at all," Akane said.  
  
"Well, you really should go back to the NekoHanten," Soun said. "They   
might be worried.  
  
"They not worry Neko. They no care," she said, glaring at the tabletop.  
  
After a pause, Soun said, "Well, Neko, then you'll just have to stay   
here."  
  
"WHAT?!" Ranma screamed. "You can't let her stay! Her curse..."  
  
"Miiiiao," Neko said tauntingly. Ranma yelped and climbed on top of   
Soun's shoulders.  
  
Ignoring Ranma, Akane looked at Neko. "Like I said, we can teach you   
Japanese, and you can stay here. Is there anything else you want?"  
  
Neko's gaze drifted over the people sitting around the table. A family   
(albeit a slightly dysfunctional one) like she'd never had. There *was* one   
thing she wanted...  
  
"Neko want train in martial arts. You have dojo?" she said as Genma   
helped pry Ranma off of Soun.  
  
"Yeah, we have a dojo you can train in, but I think it'd be more like   
*you* teaching *me*. After all, you beat Ranma that one time, right?" Akane   
said.  
  
"Great-grandmother say no count, so Neko and Shampoo make deal without   
Great-grandmother or Mousse knowledge. Neko and Shampoo go to Mt. Terror and   
fight. Whoever win stay NekoHanten with Great-grandmother, whoever lose go back   
to Joketsuzoku. If Shampoo win, I take Mousse back with me. If Neko win,   
Shampoo marry Mousse."  
  
"So you want to train here?" Ranma asked.  
  
Neko nodded. "Hai, want train here."  
  
"I think that can be arranged," Nabiki said with a glint in her eye.  
  
End of Chapter 3 


	4. Familiar Sentiment

Ranma Nibunnoichi is (c) Rumiko Takahashi, Shounen Sunday Comics, Kitty TV, and   
Viz Video.  
  
  
Here Comes Neko!  
A Ranma Nibunnoichi fan fiction  
By Luna Hinomura  
http://fly.to/Luna's  
  
Chapter 4: Familiar Sentiment  
  
The pangs of a strange emotion she was well acquainted with echoed in her   
mind. And yet, she had no idea as to its origin. The peculiar feeling refused   
to subside, and she had no other choice but to pursue it, for it also refused to   
be ignored. The same sensation of jealousy, familiar jealousy that she felt   
when she saw Ranma with Akane...  
  
But this wasn't about Ranma, now, was it?  
  
So many days had passed, and the prospect seeing Mousse around the   
NekoHanten lessoned with each passing moment that he spent with the enemy, each   
second he stayed in Neko's company rather than her own... She should have been   
ecstatic to be rid of Mousse for once.  
  
So what was the problem? Why was she sitting there thinking about him?  
  
And with the jealousy came another emotion... One of... Loneliness?  
  
[Am I lonely?]  
  
Shampoo had no answers to her rhetorical question. Did she truly miss   
Mousse's company? A tiny voice within her screamed yes, told her to remember   
her past, but she had killed whatever feelings she'd had long ago.  
  
And the enemy she'd sought to defeat was within herself... A paradox.  
  
Soon, the time would come when they would both be ready for the battle,   
and leave without their Great-grandmother's or Mousse's knowledge. That battle   
would decide the fate of Joketsuzoku, as well as of the NekoHanten.  
  
Why did she dread the prospect of fighting her twin sister? Mousse should   
be with Neko. Mousse and Neko deserved each other. She'd tried so hard to   
bring them together, but it had only forced Neko to try even harder to get her   
to marry Mousse instead. Shampoo knew too well the stubbornness that ran   
through their genes. After all, they'd both inherited it from their Great-  
grandmother.  
  
She went about the business in the NekoHanten lifelessly like an   
automaton, too absorbed in her own matters to pay more careful attention to the   
customers. They didn't seem to care.  
  
"Shampoo, there's a delivery for you. Go and find that worthless Mousse,   
and tell him to come back here," her Great-grandmother said, packing a bowl of   
ramen noodles into a delivery box.  
  
Nodding, she picked up the box and dashed outside to her bicycle. It'd   
been two days since she'd last seen Neko, ever since she had run away from the   
NekoHanten. It was well over time to pay a visit to Ranma and Akane's school.   
Perhaps they'd seen her.  
  
*****  
  
Looking up at Ranma and Neko running along the fence, Akane sighed.   
"Ranma, are you *sure* this is a good idea?"  
  
"It ain't my idea, it's Nabiki's. Why don't you ask her?"  
  
"Ask who what? Ask Neko?" Neko asked. They hadn't been able to improve   
her grammar much, but her martial arts had benefited from learning the styles of   
their dojo. The Anything-Goes Martial Arts, also known as Indiscriminate   
Grappling. Nobody else practiced this Art in this modern world; it had all   
been nearly forgotten except by the Tendos and Saotomes. Neko felt she was   
learning a style she should cherish. Chinese Amazon Martial Arts and the   
Japanese Anything-Goes Martial Arts... Would a blend of these two truly help   
her defeat her older sister?  
  
Not only that, but she was enrolling in Nerima's Furinkan High School, the   
very school where she had first met and beaten Ranma. This was to help her   
learn Japanese.  
  
"What the?!" Akane screamed. Neko turned her eyes away from the fence   
beneath her and looked forward. A hoard of boys in school uniforms where   
pouring out towards the gate. They were all yelling, but couldn't understand   
most of it from all the chaos and confusion.  
  
"Please allow us to defeat you!!" she heard one of the boys call.  
  
"Aw, jeez, not again..." Ranma grumbled. "I thought they'd stopped!"  
  
['Again'?] Neko wondered.  
  
One male carrying a tennis racquet raced towards Akane, who spun to avoid   
the racquet, sending a sidekick into his torso...  
  
...but missed as he ran right past her, swinging the racquet at Neko.  
  
Neko kicked the racquet out of his hand, and shoved her hand up into his   
jaw with a palm thrust, heedless of the cracking noises as she knocked a few of   
his teeth loose. Another boy, wearing boxing gloves and a muscle shirt launched   
at her, but she avoided his clumsy punches and dropped him with a back sweep   
kick.  
  
"Uhh... Why are they after Neko?" Akane said to Ranma.  
  
"Beats me. How did they even know she's here?"  
  
"We paid good money for a chance to fight you!" another boy yelled.  
  
Ranma and Akane looked at each other.  
  
"Nabiki," they said simultaneously. Akane turned to look up at the   
windows overlooking the courtyard, and focused on Nabiki's classroom. Yup, she   
was there, all right: counting a thick wad of bills.  
  
"NABIKI! How could you *do* this to Neko?! You *know* I hated it when it   
happened to me!" she hollered.  
  
"Look at her," Nabiki called back, smiling. "You wanted her to improve   
her martial art skills, right? You wanted her to learn Japanese, right? She'll   
improve both by coming to school every morning now, so why can't I make a little   
cash from it?"  
  
She glanced at Neko, who had beaten her last opponent by kicking him in   
the side of his face with a pop round kick. Exhaling sharply, she admitted to   
herself that Nabiki had a point. Knowing her, she'd probably told the entire   
school's population of boys that both she and Shampoo had been 'taken' by Ranma.   
Since Neko was Shampoo's twin sister, Nabiki must also have told them about the   
Amazon law, what a warrior must do when a male defeats her... Akane chewed on   
her bottom lip, considering...  
  
"All right, sis, you win," she muttered, walking into the school. Ranma   
followed, scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Ya know, Akane... She beat those boys faster than you ever did..."  
  
*WHACK*  
  
Ranma watched Akane stalk off, then gingerly reached up to touch the   
bruise her schoolbag had left on his cheek. It was beginning to swell. "Oy...   
I gotta learn to keep my mouth shut..."  
  
"What mean?" Neko asked.  
  
"Eh, never mind. C'mon, when Nabiki registered you as an exchange student   
from China, she put you in our class. Follow me," Ranma offered, his words   
slightly slurred by the growing welt on the side of his face. Neko nodded.  
  
*****  
  
Feeling her eyes narrow as she watched Neko enter the school, Shampoo was   
angrier than she could remember being for a long time. Mousse had been spending   
more time at the Tendo Dojo because of Neko. Ranma was spending more time with   
Neko. Even *Akane* had befriended Neko. Not only that, but Neko had been in   
training the entire weekend, whereas she had only slaved away in the NekoHanten.  
  
Mostly, she was angry at herself for not foreseeing this.  
  
Of *course* Neko would train. She knew she wasn't as good as Shampoo, so   
she would try every bit to make sure Shampoo would marry Mousse. It was high   
time to start training herself, as soon as possible. Neko had the school of   
Indiscriminate Grappling on her side, but Shampoo knew her Great-grandmother's   
Amazon wisdom and knowledge outweighed any of theirs, even of that pervert   
Happosai's.  
  
If Mousse was helping Neko train, did he know the agreement the two   
sisters had made? To battle on Mt. Terror, where Ranma and Ryoga had fought so   
long ago? Neko could trick Mousse into thinking she only wished to improve her   
skills, but Cologne would know and believe Shampoo to be good enough to need no   
training. She would need a reason for Shampoo's training, but they had promised   
not to let Mousse or their Great-grandmother know of the challenge. Had Neko   
planned all this? If so...  
  
"You won't succeed, Neko," Shampoo said aloud, in perfect Japanese. "I   
won't let you succeed."  
  
*****  
  
Pedaling her bike back to the NekoHanten faster than she usually went, she   
launched herself back and forth between walls, fences, and the ground to exert   
herself. Nothing made any difference. Her breathing pace was still regular,   
and she wasn't sweating at all.  
  
Just as she had feared -- staying here would accomplish nothing. She had   
to find a better place to train, no matter the consequences. Pretending nothing   
was wrong, she returned to the NekoHanten, locked her bike up to prevent theft,   
and went about her duties as normal.  
  
But late at night, when her Great-grandmother was asleep, she packed   
quickly, and left the NekoHanten. She was going to do something that had never   
crossed her mind before.  
  
She was running away from home.  
  
Cologne suspected nothing, just as Shampoo had wished. She was all too   
happy to be rid of both Neko and Mousse -- killing two birds with one stone.   
Shampoo planned to do the same, and make her Great-grandmother proud.  
  
*****  
  
"I'm exhausted!" Akane exclaimed, collapsing to the floor of the Dojo in a   
tired heap. P-chan ran up next to her and poked her with his snout in concern.  
  
"Come, Akane! Don't give up!" Neko pleaded, who was sparring with Ranma.   
Akane lifted herself enough to lean back against the wall and watch. Mousse   
leaned over and pulled a glass of water out of his left sleeve, offering it to   
her. She looked at it, wondered where he'd been keeping it, how long he'd kept   
it there, and where the water had come from. Smiling nervously, Akane declined.   
Mousse nodded, and set the glass down beside him.  
  
The past few days had been taken up mostly with grueling martial art   
practices due to Neko's stay. Neko had proven herself to be a formidable   
opponent, and Akane's muscles ached so badly at night she had a hard time   
falling asleep.  
  
But that was all part of the training, right?  
  
After all, Neko would never have stayed with the Tendos if she hadn't have   
offered, right? So that meant she just had to put up with it until Neko left   
for Mt. Terror and her battle with Shampoo.  
  
"She's getting better," Mousse observed, watching Neko and Ranma   
performing a difficult form.  
  
"So'm I," Akane replied, finally catching her breath. "Don't you think?"  
  
"Yes, actually. I think learning the Chinese Amazon forms helped both you   
and Ranma," he said, readjusting his glasses upon his nose.  
  
"Her Japanese is improving, too," Akane said after a pause. Watching Neko   
and Ranma work together was making her jealous. Neko had much more skill than   
she did, even before they'd begun teaching her the Anything-Goes style.  
  
[Are you jealous of Neko because of her skill...or because of Ranma?]  
  
Akane blinked at that thought, her forehead furrowing. [Jealous...because   
of Ranma? Why should I be?] She pushed the thought away, but it was   
inexorable.  
  
[Look at them... He's spending so much more time with her... That means   
he spends less time with me...] She looked down at her hands, clasping them   
together to keep them from trembling. If Neko succeeded, and Shampoo married   
Mousse, that meant the competition for Ranma's heart would go down... But would   
Neko take the place of Shampoo? What if Neko...  
  
What if Neko married Ranma? What if Ranma fell in love with Neko? What   
if...   
  
[Why am I thinking stuff like this?]  
  
Breathing out through her nose, she glanced at Mousse again, and envied   
how he could love Neko's identical twin, yet remain completely indifferent to   
Neko herself. His life was probably even more complex than their own.  
  
Shaking her head, she shoved her tired body up from the floor. "I'm going   
to bed," she explained to the three, and left. P-chan stood up and followed.  
  
*****  
  
"They're good, P-chan," she yawned to her black piglet after they were   
snug under her blanket. After she'd taken a long bath, they'd all retired to   
their rooms, exhausted. That is, all except Mousse, who'd left for the   
NekoHanten. Neko was sleeping in the guest room with Ranma and his father.  
  
"I wonder if Neko will beat Shampoo. If she does, what will she do? Will   
she stay around here, or will she return to Joketsuzoku? Maybe she'll take   
Shampoo's place at the NekoHanten. If she does... What happens if Ranma falls   
in love with Neko? I know he doesn't like Shampoo that much... But what about   
Neko?  
  
"He's so nice to her...much nicer than he is to me. Oh, Ranma..." She   
yawned again. "I wish... I wish you'd pay attention to me like that..." With   
that last thought in mind, Akane fell fast asleep, heedless of the tears that   
were splattering on her pillow. But the tears didn't come from her eyes.  
  
They were originating from P-chan's, who'd heard every word, and who'd   
heard her tone of voice. She hadn't been angry at Ranma...  
  
Instead, he could tell she'd spoken of Ranma with love and longing. How   
many times had he apostrophized of Akane the same way? How many times had he   
longed for Akane to think of him more than a friend, but a man she could   
possibly fall in love with? He knew what it felt like.  
  
He'd heard Akane speaking of Ranma in her sleep many, many times. Each   
time, it sent daggers of pain into his glass heart, and each time he had to pull   
out the proverbial daggers and let the shattered remains heal. Yes, he could   
sympathize with Akane. But he didn't want to.  
  
He wanted Akane to love *him*, not Ranma.  
  
[Oh, Akane... I wish *I* were the one you spoke of... If you would be   
more at ease with Shampoo winning, then I hope with all my heart that she   
does...]  
  
[Wait a second! If Shampoo wins, that means Neko has to go marry Mousse,   
and less competition between Ranma and Mousse means he won't pay attention to   
Shampoo so much! Then Akane would get what she'd been wishing for, right?]  
  
[But if Ranma pays more attention to Akane, she'll end up paying less   
attention to me, and I don't want to live without her! I *can't* live without   
her!]  
  
[Oh, but if Neko wins, then Ranma will keep training her in the Dojo, and   
what happens if Ranma falls in love with Neko? Then Akane and I could...   
Could...]  
  
[Aw, man! But that would mean Akane wouldn't get what she'd wished for,   
and I'd do *anything* for her, no matter what!]  
  
[But I can't stand it if she and Ranma end up getting together!!]  
  
P-chan squirmed out of Akane's grasp and landed softly on the floor. He   
crept out her door, and over to the bathing room. Dropping into the bathtub   
full of hot water, the black piglet emerged as a 16-year-old male.  
  
[Goodbye, Akane... I need to leave on another journey to clear my head.   
I'm...sorry... You'll see your beloved P-chan when I return, though I wish it   
were *my* presence you cherished.]  
  
*****  
  
"Oh, Ryoga, what are you doing here?"  
  
Ryoga reached up to scratch the back of his head. "I, uh, came to visit,   
and I got lost when I was going to leave," he said, chuckling.  
  
"It's so nice of you to come visit, Ryoga!" Akane replied, smiling. "No   
gifts this time?"  
  
"Eh... Heh. Ah, no, not this time. I didn't go anywhere special enough   
to get you anything," he said, secretly congratulating himself on making it   
sound like the places and gifts were not good enough for *her*, rather than the   
other way around.  
  
"Oh, that's ok. I'm sure you'll have fun. Here, let me show you to the   
door."   
  
"A-Arigato, Akane." [Curse you, Ranma!]  
  
End of Chapter 4 


	5. True Love

Ranma Nibunnoichi is (c) Rumiko Takahashi, Shounen Sunday Comics, Kitty TV, and   
Viz Video.  
  
  
Here Comes Neko!  
A Ranma Nibunnoichi fan fiction  
By Luna Hinomura  
http://fly.to/Luna's  
  
Chapter 5: True Love  
  
The NekoHanten looked as it always had, but for some reason, there were   
fewer customers inside. She glanced around, her forehead wrinkled in confusion.   
Why had people left? Where was Shampoo? It was the scheduled time for their   
departure, yet she was nowhere to be found. She could see Cologne going about   
the routine business, ignoring her presence as usual, and Mousse was gone as   
well.  
  
"Great-grandmother," Neko called. "Where is everyone?"  
  
Her great-grandmother blinked in surprise at hearing her near-perfect   
Japanese. "People haven't been coming," she replied tersely.  
  
"Why?" Cologne didn't reply to Neko's inquiry. Neko set her things down   
and sat down at a table instead. "Then I'll just have to wait for Shampoo."  
  
"Don't bother."  
  
"Why?" Once again, she received no answer.  
  
It had taken a long time to improve her broken Japanese, and Neko had   
immersed herself in only studying Japanese and Martial Arts. She could feel her   
newfound abilities with every movement she made. Her muscles felt stronger, and   
her self-esteem was much higher. Now, she finally knew what it felt like to be   
Shampoo.  
  
"Neko!" Mousse cried as soon as he walked in from the back room. "You're   
here!"  
  
"Yes, Mousse, where's Shampoo?" she asked, getting up. "I'm becoming   
impatient."  
  
"Well... I'm sorry I deceived you... All those times I helped you train,   
I never told you..." He lowered his head. "She'd already gone to Mt. Terror."  
  
"What?!" Neko exclaimed. "Mousse, why would you do such a thing?"  
  
He pushed his glasses higher up his nose. "If I'd told you earlier, you   
would have gone after her right away. It's better that you stayed and worked on   
improving your skills. You and I both know it'll be more of an even match this   
way."  
  
Nodding, Neko considered his words. "All right, then, Mousse," she said.   
"Ja matta." She grabbed her spear and backpack, rushing out in a hurry.  
  
"I wish you luck, Neko," Mousse whispered, then turned back to his duties.  
  
*****  
  
Many, many days, passed, and he had eagerly awaited the return of the two   
sisters. Each day tore at his heart, and he missed both sorely. Had Shampoo   
won? Perhaps Neko hadn't even reached Mt. Terror yet... What if...  
  
What if Shampoo won?  
  
Returning to Joketsuzoku didn't seem too bad, but he had all his hopes   
set on Neko. If both he and Neko were forced to return, then he would be   
separated from Shampoo while that dratted Saotome was...! Ugh! He threw the   
dishcloth he'd been using to dry dishes with into the sink. He was lucky that   
all he'd received from Cologne when he told her where her great-granddaughters   
had disappeared to were only a few cuts and bruises. If Shampoo won, he knew   
the emotional scars would last forever. He locked up and headed on up to his   
room. He sighed and crossed out another date on his calendar. Another day   
without hearing from or seeing either of them. He changed into his pajamas   
tiredly and laid down on his bed. An instant later, he heard the door of the   
NekoHanten being unlocked.  
  
Ever since he was a child, he'd had terrible eyesight, and, as a result   
his hearing was very acute. He knew that anyone who had a key had to be either   
Shampoo or Neko. Cologne was in her own bedroom so... He ran through the   
hallway to the top of the stairs and saw...  
  
Shampoo.  
  
She looked bloody, bruised, torn, and downright depressed. Mousse   
gasped. If Shampoo had won the fight, why did she look ready to kill herself?   
Did that mean Neko won? But, then, where was Neko? A plethora of questions   
rose up in Mousse's mind, but he couldn't bring himself to ask any. Not when   
she looked like that. Shampoo's normally proud expression was gone, and   
instead of holding her head up high while she walked, she stared at her feet.   
She didn't even notice Mousse standing before her until she crashed head-on   
into him. For a moment, she glanced up at his face, but quickly averted her   
eyes. She said nothing and only headed to her room. Mousse watched her go and   
she closed her door with a sigh. He returned to his own room with even more   
questions than before.  
  
It sounded like someone was quietly weeping.  
  
Mousse left his room and went to Shampoo's, standing before her door and   
listening to her crying. He couldn't stand it, yet he was afraid of what she   
might say if he walked in. Finally, he gathered up all his courage and   
knocked.  
  
Shampoo stopped crying for a moment, but didn't answer. Mousse opened   
the door and found her curled up on her bed in the fetal position. He sat   
down beside her. They sat in silence like that for a few minutes, interrupted   
only by the occasional sob or hiccough from Shampoo.  
  
He sighed. "What's wrong, Shampoo?" he said, pulling her lifeless body   
up by the arm.  
  
She looked at him strangely. "Oh, Mousse!" she cried, collapsing into   
his chest. For a moment, he was in shock, but he carefully hugged her, praying   
that the moment wouldn't end.  
  
Now he *knew* something was wrong. He couldn't keep her like this   
forever. "What happened?" he asked. She didn't answer. As hard as it was, he   
grabbed her shoulders and gradually pried her off so he could look in her eyes.   
  
"Shampoo," he pleaded. "Please, tell me what happened." She looked at   
the floor.  
  
"Neko and I are alike," Shampoo said in perfect Japanese. "We're two of   
a kind. But Kami-sama was unfair..."  
  
"What?" he said, pulling back. So Neko had spoken the truth: Shampoo   
really did know Japanese perfectly.  
  
"Mousse, do you know the last thing Neko said to me?"  
  
"Why would I?" he said, but there was no harshness to his tone. "I   
wasn't there. What did she say?"  
  
"I'll tell you what happened..."  
  
*****  
  
Shampoo stared down at Neko, who was standing beneath the short cliff she   
was on. "Mei-mei," she called. "Are you ready?" From her vantage point, she   
could see Neko take a step back and scan all directions, trying to determine   
where the cry had originated. Her gaze fell upon Shampoo.  
  
"Jie-jie," Neko replied. "Why don't you get down from there?" They both   
spoke Japanese between the occasional Chinese words thrown in. To appease   
Neko, Shampoo jumped from the cliff, slid down the side on her feet, and landed   
gracefully at the bottom. She crossed her arms and glared at her younger   
sister.  
  
"You were saying?" she asked.  
  
"It's time to fight," Neko said.  
  
"Fine. We fight!" Shampoo said curtly, attacking Neko as soon as she'd   
spoken her words.  
  
*****  
  
"Gomenasai, Mousse," Shampoo said. "I can't remember the entire fight   
since it went by so quickly. I can tell you what happened before and after,   
though."  
  
"I understand," he replied. "But what did you think of Neko?"  
  
"Her skills and Japanese were much improved," Shampoo said. "We were an   
even match, even with my training at Mt. Terror."  
  
"I see. So you won," he said.  
  
"If I won, why are you still here?" she replied. Mousse blinked, then   
hung his head  
  
"I'll leave in the morning," he said sadly.  
  
"Don't."  
  
"What? You *don't* want me to leave?" He was *really* confused now.  
  
"Neko had improved, and in the heat of battle, she caught me off guard. I   
was thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious." She laughed, a strange   
laugh, one that seemed to stem from irony, and not humor. "I lost, Mousse."  
  
"But then--"  
  
"Why am *I* here, and not Neko? When I awoke, Neko was standing above me.   
She was turned away from me, and suddenly I felt as if she was scorning me. I   
know I did that to her, too, but hear me out. I lashed out at her with a sweep   
kick and knocked her down, too, but I was so groggy I hadn't noticed the cliff."  
  
Mousse gasped. "The cliff?"  
  
"It wasn't the same one I'd been standing on earlier, but a different one,   
one right above a thrashing river. I knocked her off balance, and she fell over   
the cliff. Luckily, she was able to grab onto a tree root. I was very alarmed   
by that time, mind you, and I immediately reached out and tried to pull her up.  
  
"If we hadn't been so exhausted by our battle, she would have been able to   
climb out easily. As it was, we had completely used up all our strength and   
stamina.  
  
"Then, she asked me, 'Do you love Ranma?', and I replied, 'Yes, of   
course.'  
  
"Her last words were, '*True* love means loving someone enough to let them   
go.' Then, she smiled very serenely, and let go of the tree root. I tried   
holding onto her wrist, but I lost my grip, and she fell into the river. I've   
cried a lot since then, Mousse, and I still haven't used up all my tears.  
  
"I tried looking for her, but I found no signs of her. The only thing I   
found is this," Shampoo said, reaching into her backpack and drawing out a long,   
light-pink feather. "It doesn't look like any bird feather from a species   
indigenous to Japanese." She smiled crookedly. "At first, I thought it was a   
feather from an angel come to collect Neko's beautiful soul. I still don't know   
what to think."  
  
Mousse took the feather carefully in his hands and turned it over a few   
times. Having been able to see his own feathers many, many times as a duck, he   
knew what duck feathers looked like. And if this was a light-pink duck's   
feather...  
  
Was Neko alive?  
  
He closed his eyes. Who knew? She might or might not be. Shampoo didn't   
know Neko's cursed form, so she would never guess what had happened.  
  
"There's more," Shampoo said. "She's probably told you how she knows more   
about me than anybody else, right?"  
  
"Yes..." he replied slowly.  
  
"You don't know how deep her words stabbed into my heart."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You think she meant I have to love Ranma enough to let him go to Akane.   
I know Ranma loves Akane. Any fool could see that. It was fun, for a while,   
chasing after him with Great-grandmother, but the pain of disappointment was not   
worth the brief joy I received from tormenting him. I don't know if Neko knows   
this, Mousse, but she probably does. I loved you, once, a long, long time ago."  
  
He nearly fell off the bed. Had Neko knocked Shampoo so hard that she'd   
gone crazy?  
  
"When we were kids, the only reason I wanted to defeat you is because I   
didn't feel I deserved you. Plus, it was hard growing up under Great-  
grandmother's governing. It seemed that if I revealed my true feelings to you,   
I would be branded a failure forever.  
  
"I came up with a plan to make certain you would end up with Neko, because   
I thought that Neko deserved you more than I did. But you were so stubborn."   
She turned her red-violet eyes towards his face and smiled warmly. "You've   
always been stubborn."  
  
"And...?"  
  
"I loved you enough to let you go, and it was a mistake. I told myself I   
would never make that mistake again, that I would never let the next man I loved   
out of my sight." She scoffed. "What a joke. Look at how Ranma hates me. I   
*am* a failure Mousse. I've only been delaying the inevitable. I thought that   
by treating Neko harshly, she would turn to you for comfort. I thought that by   
being cruel, I could be kind...  
  
"But there's still more, Mousse. *I* know more about Neko than anyone   
else as well. Neko loves you too, and we've come full circle. She loved *you*   
enough to let you go. She knew you loved me, and she probably knew I loved you   
once, too. And now she's gone, and it's not fair. It's not fair!!" she buried   
her face in Mousse's chest once more.  
  
Mousse sighed and closed his eyes. Neko loved him. Loved him! Shampoo   
wasn't the only one who had been foolish. he   
thought, ignoring the pun. "I'm sorry, Shampoo. I should have known."  
  
She sniffed and wiped away a tear. "I should have, too."  
  
The sound of a cat meowing caused him to pause, and he turned an ear   
towards the window. He didn't hear anything more, except the flapping of wings.   
Was a cat chasing a bird away from its nest in the middle of the night, or...?   
He smiled.  
  
"Let's go back to Joketsuzoku together, Shampoo," Mousse suggested.   
"Maybe Neko's not dead. You never know."  
  
"I think we should, Mousse, but there's still something else I have to   
do," she replied. "I want to talk to Akane. Whatever she says, no matter how   
painful it is, I will endure. She will be the one to make my decision. Maybe   
then, I can restore my pride, and I can return to Joketsuzoku with honor. I   
will talk to Akane tomorrow, Mousse. Go to bed." She gently pulled away from   
him. "I'm tired."  
  
Mousse nodded, but paused at the door. "Oyasuminasai," he said.   
  
End of Chapter 5 


	6. Shadows of the Past

Ranma Nibunnoichi is (c) Rumiko Takahashi, Shounen Sunday Comics, Kitty TV, and   
Viz Video.  
  
  
Here Comes Neko!  
A Ranma Nibunnoichi fan fiction  
By Luna Hinomura  
http://fly.to/Luna's  
  
Chapter 6: Shadows of the Past   
  
Another piece of clothing fell out of her bag, and Mousse quickly stooped   
down to pick it up. It was a bright, wide yellow ribbon that she often used to   
tie in her hair. Right now, she was using different style ribbons -- sky-blue   
ones that had belonged to Neko. He held the ribbon out to her, intending to   
return it.  
  
Shampoo shook her head. "You keep it," she suggested. Mousse nodded, and   
put it deep inside one of his large sleeves. Shampoo didn't watch; her eyes   
were strongly focused on the Tendo Dojo in the distance. He knew she feared   
what might cross between Akane and she, but the Amazon warrior's spirit in her   
refused to turn around and run. She'd committed herself to this, and would see   
it through, or never look either Ranma or Mousse in the face again. She took a   
step forward, and then another, then another. The first few steps were hard,   
but once she lost herself in the rhythm, she didn't have to think about what lay   
ahead of her. Once they reached the door, she had to grab Mousse's sleeve   
quickly so he wouldn't run right into it. He nodded towards her in thanks, and   
waited for her to knock.  
  
"Mousse?" she asked after they had stared at the front door for a few   
minutes.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Are you bored?" she asked him in Chinese.  
  
"From standing here?"  
  
"Well..." Mousse cleared his throat noisily. "Not really..." Silence   
befell them.  
  
"Would you knock on the door for me, please?" Shampoo asked quietly after   
a few more minutes passed by.  
  
Ah. He understood. Rather than admit her fear or apprehension, she was   
saving face by asking him to knock on the door in her name. She wasn't proud or   
conceited -- rather, Shampoo was embarrassed at her own weakness. He'd never   
seen this side of her before. "Sure," Mousse replied, pretending he didn't know   
why, or felt that anything was wrong. He rapped on the door and called, "Hello?   
Is anybody home?"  
  
"Hai!" he heard Kasumi's bright and pleasant voice call from within. With   
his excellent hearing, he could easily perceive the sound of her footsteps   
approaching the door. She was startled when she saw Shampoo and Mousse there,   
especially since they usually just busted through a wall, window, or door to get   
into the Tendo's household. "Oh, hello," Kasumi said warmly, trying to hide her   
surprise. "You must be looking for Ranma. He's--"  
  
"Shampoo want see Akane. She home?" Shampoo asked, reverting back to her   
poorly spoken Japanese as soon as she was in view of whom she considered to be   
an outsider. Once again, Mousse pretended not to notice the difference.  
  
"Yes, she's home... But... Oh, dear." Kasumi began to wring her hands   
hopelessly. "Um, would you like come in?" No doubt she feared another scene   
ending with being forced to pay a heinously large bill in order to repair the   
house. Kasumi was so distracted, she didn't move out of the doorway in order to   
let them in.  
  
Shampoo sighed and set down her backpack. "We going back to China," she   
explained. "Shampoo want say... Sayonara... To airen, and to Akane." A pang   
of jealousy struck Mousse when he heard Shampoo refer to Ranma as her airen, or   
her love.  
  
Looking at Kasumi to distract himself from envy, he could practically see   
the gears turning in her head while she mused over Shampoo's words. After all,   
Shampoo's last 'Sayonara' had turned into something not-quite-so permanent.  
  
"Sayonara is forever," Shampoo said after Kasumi still refused to budge.  
  
Finally, Kasumi edged away from the door. "I'll fix you a snack. Why   
don't you wait downstairs while I call Akane?" She set down a bowl of rice   
crackers for Shampoo and Mousse and helped them set their backpacks on the   
porch. Shampoo could sense energy emitting from the Dojo, but nothing sharp or   
fiery like a fight between Ranma and Akane. Instead, she could feel it pulsing,   
slowly and meticulously, definitely not a fighting aura, but something else.   
Shampoo was intrigued. She almost got up to investigate the strange ki, but   
with the help of self-discipline she'd built up while studying martial arts, she   
was able to resist the urge. Instead, she closed her eyes and took a sip of   
green tea Kasumi had also provided them, savoring the remarkable flavor.  
  
A few more moments passed, and she became slightly impatient. Her skilled   
eyes scanned the room, automatically taking everything into consideration. She   
looked over the walls, noting the exquisite calligraphy, to the table, where the   
wood was beginning to crack and peel from usage. Finally, her eyes settled on   
Mousse.  
  
A slight furrow appeared in her brow as she watched him sipping the tea   
calmly. He'd raised his glasses high on his head, probably because they gave   
him a headache if he wore them too long. The steam rising from his cup caught   
her eye just then, and she smiled, trying to understand how annoying it would be   
to have the vapors condense on the lenses of his glasses. No wonder he wasn't   
wearing them. Shampoo had to admit that he looked quite handsome with his   
glasses off, though she wished he would do something with his hair. Perhaps if   
he tied it back... No, the hair would still flap in his face during battle or a   
strong breeze, hindering his vision as much as if he wasn't wearing his glasses.   
To prevent that, he'd need to either cut it, a thought that sent a shiver down   
her spine, or...  
  
Shampoo stopped, realizing what she was doing. Vehemently, she uttered a   
silent curse. The whole point of coming here was to *forget* Ranma. [Mousse   
will *never* be like Ranma,] she told herself, [and I don't want him to be.]  
  
"All right, what do you want now? Another battle? Do you have another   
tournament set up somewhere? Want to challenge me for Ranma's hand, as usual?"   
Akane barked angrily from the doorway. "If you're here with Mousse, then Neko   
must have defeated you. So now you want to say your goodbyes to Ranma and ask   
him if he wants to come with you?"  
  
"Akane..." Mousse said when he saw Shampoo grit her teeth and clench her   
hands into fists. She ducked her head to hide her eyes beneath her mass of   
purple hair and began trembling violently in anger. "You don't know the whole   
story. You don't even know *part* of the whole story..." He spoke in a calm   
and soothing voice, trying to leaven the tension between the two long-time   
rivals.  
  
"Mousse, she's so ashamed that she can't even *look* at me! What other   
story is there?" A flash of doubt entered Akane's mind. Was there more to this   
visit than she'd originally assumed? Suddenly, she regretted the harsh words   
she'd spoken a few moments before. [There you go again, speaking before   
thinking. Now look what you've done!]  
  
At that, Shampoo turned her violet eyes to glare at Akane, who stepped   
back in shock. Apparently, she hadn't only been hiding her eyes because of   
anger, but also because she'd been...crying? Akane knelt at the coffee table,   
but her motions were so abrupt that she looked as if she'd fallen to her knees.   
"Wh-what did I say?" she asked, her voice echoing her surprise.  
  
"Neko won the match," Shampoo said. "I will return to Joketsuzoku to   
preserve her honor and memory." Both Shampoo's Japanese and the meaning of her   
words stabbed at Akane's heart so painfully that she couldn't breathe for a   
moment.  
  
"I-it can't be! She can't be dead!" Akane exclaimed, tears springing to   
her eyes. The past few weeks she'd spent with came to mind, how she'd forgotten   
all the jealousy and had learned to live with Neko, how they had become good   
friends, even remembering the occasional sparring match with Shampoo's skilled   
twin sister. For some odd reason, her thoughts turned to Ranma suddenly, and   
she knew he would be devastated. After Neko had left, Ranma himself had   
admitted to her that Neko's curse was the only one that might have been just as   
bad, if not worse, than his own. Of course, his 'fondness' for cats might have   
altered his decision a bit.  
  
Shampoo cleared her throat. "There's more, Akane. Please listen to me   
with an open mind, and don't be angry with me. After all, don't you think I've   
suffered enough?" Akane resolved to be nice to her adversary for once. "Do you   
know what Neko said to me just before she...died...?" her voice nearly drifted   
to a whisper, for even Shampoo herself could not believe that Neko might be gone   
forever.  
  
"No," Akane said. "But first, I have a question..." Shampoo nodded.   
"Since you're twins, you can sense each other, right? Do you feel her aura   
connected to you anymore?"  
  
Once again, Shampoo hid her eyes, this time beneath a tired hand. "I   
don't know."  
  
"How can you not know? You're twins!"  
  
"Somehow, I don't think she's dead, but I always thought that was simply   
because I was -- am -- in denial. That's not the point. I wanted to ask *you*   
something."  
  
Akane nodded, and Shampoo continued. "I wanted to tell you Neko's last   
words. Well, first she asked me, 'Do you love Ranma?', and I replied, 'Yes, of   
course.'" Akane frowned slightly, and Shampoo pretended not to notice. "But   
her last words were what hit me. Neko said to me, '*True* love means loving   
someone enough to let them go.'" This time, Mousse frowned slightly, and both   
Akane and Shampoo pretended not to notice.  
  
"So what do you want to ask me?" Akane demanded, becoming impatient.  
  
"Do you love Ranma?"  
  
A red flush crept across Akane's startled face. "O-of course I don't!"  
  
"Then why do you fight for him? What is it about him that you refuse to   
give up to me, or to Ukyo? Or even Kodachi?" Shampoo saw Akane's fist tighten,   
and she knew she had hit a sensitive spot. "Is it truly so difficult for you to   
admit it?"  
  
Akane snorted and stared at the top of the coffee table, trying to find   
something interesting to look at. Unfortunately, she could see nothing. "We   
shouldn't be talking about me..."  
  
"This is important," Shampoo replied. "I just want to make sure that all   
of Neko's wishes are honored and answered for before I go. Do you love Ranma?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Then why do you insist on controlling his life? Like Neko said, true   
love means loving him enough to let him go. So you win. I will let him go."   
Shampoo closed her eyes and smiled sadly. "Please don't think of this as a win   
by default or that I've given up. This is more like...a humble admission of   
defeat. Do you understand?"  
  
For the first time in her life, Akane's common sense and good judgment won   
over her quick temper. "I... I think I do."  
  
"That is good." Shampoo took the last sip of her tea. "Sayonara, Tendo   
Akane." She stood up and picked up her backpack. Mousse did as well. "Say   
'sayonara' to Ranma for me, too."   
  
"Don't you want to say it to him yourself?" Akane asked.  
  
Shampoo closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "This is the way it   
was meant to end. I want to leave his life just as abruptly as I came into it."  
  
"Sayonara, Shampoo. You too, Mousse." The two Chinese Amazons left so   
quickly that Akane didn't know if they'd heard her or not. For a moment, she   
sat there, dazed at what Shampoo had shown to her. If Shampoo was willing to   
give up Ranma... Akane only knew one thing that would make Shampoo give up   
chasing after Ranma.  
  
Neko's words had forced Shampoo to recognize Ranma's love. And for   
Shampoo to recognize it, a girl whom Akane had believed to be one of the biggest   
idiots in Nerima... Then again, before today, Akane would never have believed   
Shampoo had known how to speak Japanese. She certainly was a different person   
that whom Akane had supposed her to be.  
  
[So therefore... Ranma *does* love me. He loves me!] Somehow, she felt   
as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders and even from her heart.   
[There. I've said it. I've acknowledged it. Ranma loves me. But...do you   
love *him*?]  
  
Akane could deny it no longer. The thought simply appeared in her mind   
before she knew what was happening, before she could stop it. [Yes. I love   
Ranma.] She brought up her left hand uncertainly, touching her lips in   
confusion. She couldn't understand the new feelings the epiphany had brought   
into her mind and heart. Suddenly, she felt as if she had to see him. Akane   
leapt up and dashed down to the Tendo Dojo, ignoring Nabiki's sarcastic comments   
or Genma's protests when she accidentally knocked him into the Koi pond. She   
slid open the door slowly, and peeked inside.  
  
Ranma was in the Dojo, exercising, but she'd never seen him practicing his   
Taijichuan before. She hadn't even known that he was familiar with Tai Chi.   
His back was facing her, and he moved meticulously, each movement painfully slow   
and calculated. He seemed calmer than usual, though Akane couldn't see his   
face. Akane could sense his aura, and she felt as if her heart was beating in   
time with his. Her mouth moved as if it had a mind of its own, sometimes   
trembling, sometimes closing, and sometimes she even bit her bottom lip. She   
was startled when his next move brought him facing the doorway.  
  
"JEEZ!" he yelped, falling down in shock. "I didn't even know you were   
there!"  
  
"Couldn't you...sense my presence?" Akane asked confusedly.  
  
"Normally, yeah, but..." He rubbed his posterior to relieve some of the   
pain. "What's different about you today? I couldn't even tell when you got   
here..."  
  
"Really?" Akane stared at him. "Is something different about me?"  
  
"Did you get another haircut? No wait, you just beat someone up? I know!   
Kuno put the moves on you again so you punished him with your tomboy strength!"   
He looked confused when she didn't make a move to reprimand him. "Seriously,   
what's wrong with you, Akane? Even when you had a cold, you weren't this nice."  
  
"It's nothing," she replied, turning away from him shyly. She didn't like   
this new situation her realization had brought her to.  
  
"All right, go ahead."  
  
"Go ahead and what?" Akane blinked, startled. There was no way Ranma   
could have figured out why she'd been acting so strangely.  
  
"It's okay, I don't mind."  
  
"What on earth are you talking about?" She could feel her face growing   
redder with every passing second.  
  
"Apologize already."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"It's obvious that you've done something terribly wrong and now you've   
come to ask me to forgive you. So go ahead and apologize, and I'll accept your   
apology, and then we can get on with our lives," Ranma explained. "Sheesh, even   
a dolt could figure it out."  
  
"Ranma, you baka!!" Akane yelled, unable to control her temper any longer.   
With her right hand ready and waiting, she slapped him and stormed out of the   
Dojo.  
  
[What'd I do wrong *this* time...?] Ranma wondered.  
  
*****  
  
When Ranma returned from Dr. Tofu's clinic, Akane was laying on her bed,   
contemplating the events that had occurred in the Dojo. [Why did I have to slap   
him? Isn't there something I could have done differently?] She hated when   
these things turned out so badly, but regret was something she'd just have to   
learn to deal with. [And to think I assumed that things wouldn't be so   
complicated after Shampoo left...]  
  
But that was another problem. She should never have assumed that   
*anything* could be normal ever again after meeting Ranma. [What *should* I   
have said, what *could* I have done to make things different?]  
  
"Absolutely nothing," she said aloud to herself. "Ranma will always be   
him, and I will always be me, so why would you even want to alter anything?"   
She smiled, finally happy. "That kind of change is much too fast for me, and   
I'm happy with how things are now. I'd never want it any other way."  
  
*****  
  
She decided to stop trailing after them, and simply watched as Shampoo and   
Mousse walked off, holding hands in the afternoon sun, headed for Joketsuzoku.   
She knew they were looking for her, but they'd find her someday. Perhaps the   
day would come when they'd meet each other again, but who knew? She didn't mind   
leaving it up to the hands of fate.  
  
A single tear slid down her cheek, but she made no attempt to wipe it   
away. No others followed. Yes, she would miss them, and they would miss her,   
but enduring this pain was worth the prize it would bring. She smiled sadly and   
turned away, in the opposite direction that Shampoo and Mousse had taken. She   
sighed. Tomorrow... Tomorrow would bring a new day. And there were plenty   
tomorrows after that. Perhaps she might return to Joketsuzoku and find her   
sister again, or maybe she'd stay away. In any case, she still wanted to see   
what would become of the two.  
  
She took a step away from them, and another. And then another. The more   
she took, the easier it became to take just one more, or another one right after   
it. And she marveled at those steps, for they were different than any   
steps she had ever taken before.  
  
They were her very first steps taken outside the gloom of Shampoo's   
domineering shadow.  
  
The End  
  
  
"Until Sayonara"  
by Luna Hinomura  
  
You come to me with eyes so sad  
I can't believe it's really the end  
You say to me it's all for the best  
But I know we can't "just be friends"  
  
It's too late, baby, we didn't last  
Our love is gone, the love that we shared  
The day is empty now: it's so cold  
The best we can do is learn from the past   
  
Sayonara is forever  
We'll never meet again  
I don't want to believe it  
But I know that it's true  
  
Sayonara means goodbye  
Maybe someday I'll love again  
But for now, love can just wait  
Until sayonara  
  
Please tell me, what do I do now  
When you're not with me, I just don't know  
Mem'ries of long ago haunt me still  
Bittersweet moments that I spent with you  
  
Sayonara is forever  
We'll never meet again  
I don't want to believe it  
But I know that it's true  
  
Sayonara means goodbye  
Maybe someday I'll love again  
But for now, love can just wait  
Until sayonara  
  
Sayonara is forever  
We'll never meet again  
I don't want to believe it  
But I know that it's true  
  
Sayonara means goodbye  
I know one day I'll find him  
Until then, love can just wait  
This is sayonara  
  
  
Note from author:  
  
I wrote this song ("Until Sayonara") a while ago and decided that it fit   
the tone of the final (uru uru...) chapter of Here Comes Neko!. After all,   
every anime movie or anime TV show needs its own ending theme song. I suppose   
this isn't the best time to say that I really have no idea why I called this   
fan-fic by that title, but it's true. An allusion to Tenchi-Muyo!, perhaps?   
Oh, that reminds me: originally, this Chapter was entitled "Leaving Nerima," but   
I think this tone phrase works *much* better.  
  
ANYway, I'll miss writing about Neko, but I think it's best to leave the   
ending the way it is. After all, sequels aren't *always* as good as the   
originals, though some may be. If any of you out there hate Shampoo, I honestly   
hope that my fan-fic has given you new respect for my all-time favorite anime   
character. If not, then all I can say is... BITE ME! Ha! Just kidding.  
  
BTW, if by some slim chance I actually have (*gasp*) fans out there, I'm   
working on a new Ranma 1/2 fan-fic and it's called Romance in Ryugenzawa. :)  
  
--Luna  
3/27/00 


End file.
